Decatur girl goes to National American Miss competition in California

Photo by Mike Eckels Riding on the hood of her father Tim Bottoms’ 1955 Chevrolet Bel-Air, Bethany Roberson throws candy to children lining Main Street for the 2017 Decatur Barbecue Parade on Aug. 5. Bethany was one of six area girls who competed for the title of Miss Decatur Barbecue.
Photo by Mike Eckels Riding on the hood of her father Tim Bottoms’ 1955 Chevrolet Bel-Air, Bethany Roberson throws candy to children lining Main Street for the 2017 Decatur Barbecue Parade on Aug. 5. Bethany was one of six area girls who competed for the title of Miss Decatur Barbecue.

— Part of every little girl's dream is to become either a princess, a beauty queen or a super model. For one Decatur girl, the dream of becoming a model is one step closer to becoming a reality. Bethany Roberson, a native of Decatur, was the fifth of 10 finalists in the National American Miss competition held at the Four Points by Sheraton in Bentonville June 30.

Roberson was one of 62 girls competing for a chance to compete in the national events in Anaheim, Calif., in November.

"I was the fifth finalist called out at the end of the night," Roberson recalls. "I was excited because I knew that I was going to California because only the top five finalists go to the national competition automatically."

During the three-day event, Roberson won five trophies, for outstanding program participation, Spirit of America, top model fourth runner-up, casual-wear modeling second runner-up, best thank you first runner-up and most ticket sales. She also won five ribbons, a volunteer service award, a crown and a sash.

Roberson is the 15-year-old daughter of Tim and Sandra Bottoms of Gentry and granddaughter of Johnnie and Mary Lou Janes of Decatur. Roberson lives in Decatur with her grandparents but attends Gentry High School where she is in her sophomore year. She was one of six contestants in this year's Miss Decatur Barbecue Pageant at Veterans Park in Decatur Aug. 5.

The National American Miss pageant was founded in 2003 and is "dedicated to celebrating America's greatness and encouraging its future leaders. Each year, the pageant awards $1 million in cash, scholarships and prizes to recognize and assist the development of young women nationwide" (www.namiss.com).

Now that the preliminaries are completed, Roberson's next big step on the road to Anaheim is to raise money. In total, Roberson needs to raise close to $4,500 for transportation and other expenses.

"I'm going to try to do what I didn't get to do at the Barbecue," said Roberson. "I will hold a bake sale and yard sale to start with. I will also work to get donations and sell sponsorship pages for the pageant's year book."

The year book chronicles the pageant's many actives throughout the country and features each contestant. There are various levels of sponsorship that Roberson will try to sell to individuals and local businesses.

"It's $20 if you just want to sign your name and $25 if you have a business stamp," Roberson said. "It is $75 if someone wants to put their business card (2x3 inches), which will be entered into the year book. Over 80,000 books will be sent, which is a great way for any business to get exposure."

Should Roberson win the pageant which takes place Nov. 21-26 (Thanksgiving week), she would win a $2,000 cash scholarship and an all-expenses-paid trip to compete in either the Miss U.S.A, Miss America, or any other pageant of her choosing.

Bethany Roberson is well on her way to achieving her goals of becoming a model, actress or even a delivery room nurse. Last year she received her certification as a runway model. So she is well on her way of achieving her dreams. With the hard work and determination she puts behind this and many other endeavors, it may be possible the headline could read, "Small town Decatur girl becomes next super model."

If you wish to make a donation or to purchase a sponsorship for Bethany Roberson's Anaheim trip to the National American Miss contest, call 479-616-0965.

General News on 09/06/2017