FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Cassidy Grimes, Public Relations Director
251.622.5335 (office) cassidy@ajm.org

AJM Announces Preliminary Awards

The 52nd AJM National Finals began on Thursday, June 25, with the first preliminary of competition. Satellite scholarship awards were presented to members of the AJM Class of 2009 at the end of the night.

Ashley Bracey of Alpine, Utah, received the Betty Copeland My Town Award presented by Wintzell’s Oyster House. Bracey won a $2,000 cash scholarship for the award. For more information or to download photos of Bracey, visit www.ajm.org/media/junior_misses/class_of_2009/utah.

Mackenzie Hull of Little Rock, Arkansas, received the Bel Air Mall Community Service Essay award for $1,500. For more information or to download photos of Hull, visit www.ajm.org/media/junior_misses/class_of_2009/arkansas.

Laura Moore of Tallahassee, Florida received the Press-Register Daily Journal Award for $1,000. For more information or to download photos of Moore, visit www.ajm.org/media/junior_misses/class_of_2009/florida.

Be Your Best Self Essay Awards for $1,000 each were awarded to Whitney Johnson of Portage, Indiana, Samantha LaBrasca of Brookfield, Wisconsin, and Kayla Hoover of Idaho Falls, Idaho. For more information or to download photos for each young woman, visit www.ajm.org/media/junior_misses/class_of_2009.

Lauren Gessner of Canfield, Ohio, was presented with the Saad Development Has Been Award. Gessner was Ohio’s Junior Miss 2008 and is currently a student at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama, where she received a full scholarship due to her participation in the Junior Miss program.

The second night of preliminary competitions will continue on Friday, June 26. Scholarships will be presented at the conclusion of the program.

The Class of 2009 will compete for a share of $125,000 in cash scholarships and the title of America’s Junior Miss 2009 at the 52nd Annual National Finals on June 27. The program will be broadcast live at 7 p.m. June 27 on WPMI-TV 15's Web site, www.nbc15online.com. Tickets are available at www.ajm.org or by calling 251-438-3621.

AJM’s national sponsors for 2009 are the City of Mobile, Mobile County, Encore Rehabilitation, Alabama Power, Regions Bank, and Mobile Gas.

For more information, please contact Cassidy Grimes, AJM Public Relations Director, at 251-622-5335 or cassidy@ajm.org, or visit www.ajm.org.

-AJM-