Miss America organization will not only celebrate its 100th anniversary this year but will also crown the next Miss America before a live audience at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut after a year of virtual appearances and crown duties performed by Miss America 2020/2021 Camille Schrier.
After taking a hiatus in 2020, the Miss America organization stated that they have reached an agreement to hold the competition’s events and nationally televised finals at Mohegan Sun; a resort casino in south-eastern Connecticut that is owned and operated by the Mohegan Tribe for the next three years. Mohegan Sun President and General Manager Jeff Hamilton stated, “To be standing here today is exciting, especially with what everyone has been through over the last 12 months.”
December 2021 is a tentative month that has been finalized to hold the competition but the authorities have refused to reveal the date citing unknown surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and other, unspecified factors.
Shantel Krebs; president and chief executive officer of Miss America organization mentioned, “Mohegan Sun’s success in safe operation during the pandemic was a major factor in the organization’s decision to continue its relationship with the casino. Mohegan Sun will host all the activities that lead up to the final ceremony, including “interviews, preliminary competitions, scholarships, everything.” Miss America organization and Mohegan Sun share the same values and that is what makes them both a good fit along with the success of Mohegan Sun hosting a week’s worth of preliminary Miss America events as well as the final competition in 2019 which was aired live on NBC.
“Following the success of the Miss America 2020 competition in December 2019, we knew we had created something very special here in Connecticut, and we’re thrilled to host Miss America events and competitions for the next three years,” Jeff stated. The president of Mohegan Sun also mentioned that they hope to bring Barrett-Jackson’s annual Northeast collector car auction back to Mohegan Sun in 2022.
Miss America organization had to postpone the planned 2020 broadcast and competition until 2021, and extend the reign of Miss America 2020/2021 Camille Schrier for a second year and she performed virtual demonstrations in her backyard during the pandemic to get kids interested in science and made “appearances” from a studio in her basement, discussing drug safety and opioid awareness. Shantel mentioned that the Miss America organization has been awarding women scholarships since the 1940s and Camille Schrier of Virginia, won a $50,000 scholarship to continue her pursuit of a doctoral degree and earned a six-figure salary while traveling the country during her year of service.
Krebs describes the Miss America events as “a job interview. The job is to advocate for social causes 365 days a year. The competition is no longer known as just a beauty pageant as it prioritizes a message of female strength, independence, and empowerment through their efforts in the areas of scholarship, talent, and social impact.”