Miss Merry Christmas will be crowned on Sunday, December 1st following the Christmas Parade.

Miss Merry Christmas Contest 2024

In a few days the Christmas season will be in full swing. Is there a better way to celebrate the season of giving and sharing than shining a light on a group of young ladies from our area who exemplify the spirit of giving back? That is exactly what the town of Pink Hill does every year when they plan their annual Christmas parade and they hold the annual Miss Merry Christmas contest. For over 64 years now, the town has allowed area businesses to sponsor a young lady to ride in the parade and represent their business. This tradition is unique to Pink Hill and it is believed that it started in 1960. Many of the young ladies selected to participate have had mothers and grandmothers who have participated in this contest. Those participating are between the ages of 15 and 18 and attend local schools. We ask that they be selected by their ability and desire to give back to their neighborhood thru their church, school and personal time.  

Before riding in the Pink Hill Parade, the young ladies submit an application and then are invited to participate in an interview and reception the day before the parade. There, they will meet and greet with the other ladies and then go thru a short interview process with the judges. They will be asked questions about themselves and their activities and their views on certain subjects. The questions are designed to get to know the ladies better and some are just for fun. They will be given a chance to give a brief overview of a community project they will undertake if they should win the contest. If they win, they will have one year to complete their project. Past community projects have involved reading to the elderly in nursing homes, collecting needed supplies for the SPCA, and beautification projects in their neighborhoods, just to name a few. The ladies are judged on how they handle themselves with their peers and their desire to get involved in community projects.  During her reign, the newly crowned Queen may be asked to be involved with local festivals or functions within the town and then she will ride in the Christmas parade the following year to represent her town and accomplishments. 

All of this is done to foster a spirit of volunteering and leaderships in our teens. Suzie Baker and Phyllis Burd, who have been involved with the contest throughout the years and are heading up this year’s event, and say they are so impressed with the candidates this year and years past. They stated that many of these young ladies already show remarkable leadership skills and are very involved in their school and churches. Their hope is that they walk away from this experience having made some new like-minded friends and with the desire to continue to be involved in the community and giving back. They also believe with what they have seen so far, these young ladies will be leaders in whatever endeavors they undertake and they look forward to continuing a long lived tradition and watching these remarkable young ladies become part of the town of Pink Hills’ history. 

Contestant
Lexi White
Parents: Nicole Noble
School: Lenoir County Early College, 11th Grade
Sponsor: El Tequila Mexican Restaurant

Bailee Henderson
Parents: Jennifer Turner
School: East Duplin High School, 11th Grade
Sponsor: Penny Harper - R-Mart

Hailey Brooke Maready
Parents: Nathan and Heather Maready
School: East Duplin High School, 11th Grade
Sponsor: Honey Pepper Boutique (Kaylee Moore)

Carley Linn Hill
Parents: Mr. & Mrs. Richard Orr
School: South Lenoir High School, 11th Grade
Sponsor: Harrison Septic Services

Annabelle Hope Skinner
Parents: Waylon & Megan Skinner
School: South Lenoir High School, 9th Grade
Sponsor: BRL Appliance Repair - Deep Run

Aly Reagan Moore
Parents: Kevin & Danielle Moore & Shelly Stroud
School: East Duplin High School, 11th Grade
Sponsor: Dr. Crystal Rooks

Sarah Wentz
Parents: Matthew and Heather Wentz
School: Arendell Parrott Academy, 11th Grade
Sponsor: Marco Enterprises, LLC

Olivia Summerlin
Parents: Jenny Sanderson
School: East Duplin High School, 11th Grade
Sponsor: Clay Howard Insurance

Danni Jones
Parents: Michelle Hussein
School: Champion Education Center, 10th Grade
Sponsor: Two Dogs Pizza