Miss National Sweetheart Pageant

Jordan Krinke
2013 Miss National Sweetheart

The Miss National Sweetheart pageant will be held on Sunday, August 31, 2014.

Miss National Sweetheart is a United States beauty pageant created in 1941 where runners-up from the Miss America state pageants are invited to Hoopeston, Illinois to compete for the title of Miss National Sweetheart.

The event, which has no official ties to the Miss America Organization, is sponsored by the Hoopeston Jaycees and is held on Labor Day weekend in conjunction with the town's Sweetcorn Festival.  Most contestants placed first runner-up in their state pageant, however second and other runners-up are invited if the the first runner-up chooses not to attend.  The winner of the National Sweetheart title receives a $1,000 scholarship and a pendant shaped like an ear of corn.

Winning this title does not guarantee that a contestant will win a Miss America state title, but since 1980, five Miss National Sweetheart winners have gone on to win both their state and the Miss America title...

Pam Eldred, Miss America 1970; Rebecca King, Miss America 1974; Grace E. Ward, Miss America 1982; Debrah L. Turner, Miss America 1990; Carolyn Sapp, Miss America 1992; Leanza Cornett, Miss America 1993; Tara Dawn Holland, Miss America 1997, Katie Marie Harman, Miss America 2002; Caressa Cameron, Miss America 2010.

 The judges for this event are from the Miss America Systems and the girls compete in swimsuit, evening gowns, and talent.

These are the girls competing for Miss National Sweetheart 2014:

Good luck to all the contestants!

Congratulations to Kalie Wright, the new Miss National Sweetheart!