BOX ELDER COUNTY – By Cari Doutre – July 6, 2020
The 2020 Miss Bear River Valley Scholarship Competition can officially be added to the growing list of cancellations this year in wake of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic that hit Utah in March that has yet to slow down.
This year's Miss Bear River Valley Scholarship Competition was originally scheduled for Friday, July 10, in conjunction with Garland City’s Wheat and Beet Days celebration. However, organizers of the local competition opted to follow the lead of the Miss Utah Scholarship Organization and cancel the 2020 event.
The reigning 2019 Miss Bear River Valley, Lindsay Hales, will continue to serve as Miss Bear River Valley for another year.
One of Hales’ top priorities is to continue promoting her social impact initiative “Project You: Building Confidence Through Service.”
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Hales spent countless hours over the past year reading to students, speaking with local youth groups and volunteering in the community. Her plans are to continue that volunteer work while preparing for the 2021 Miss Utah Scholarship Competition and continuing her education at Utah State University.
“I am deeply saddened that another girl will not get to share in the experiences I have had this year. The past year has been such an incredible experience for me. I’ve learned a lot about myself, my community and grown in ways that will help me both in life and in future career opportunities,” Hales said.
“However, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve another year in this amazing community, after all, who can say they’ve been Miss Bear River Valley for two years!?” She added.
Hales is also available for volunteer opportunities, speaking engagements or to represent the Bear River Valley with local businesses and organizations. Contact her through Facebook or Instagram @missbearriver.ut
“I would also highly encourage any girl in our valley between the ages of 17-25 to come compete with us at next year’s competition. The Miss America Organization will change your life and you’ll make the best of friends along the way,” Hales added.
The 2020 Miss Utah Scholarship Competition was scheduled to take place in August 2020 but was postponed to June 2021. That announcement was made on May 12, 2020: https://missutah.org/
SALT LAKE CITY (May 12, 2020) — The Miss Utah Scholarship Organization announced today that the Miss Utah Scholarship Competition scheduled to take place in August, is being postponed to June 2021. This comes following the announcement made by the Miss America Organization on Friday that the Miss America Competition would be postponed until the fourth quarter of 2021 due to the nation-wide impact of COVID-19.
“As we all know, this moment in our history is one that will change the course of many programs, businesses, and institutions, and the Miss America Organization is not alone in navigating these challenges,” said Shantel Krebs, Board Chair. “At this time, as an organization, our greatest concern is to make sure the thousands of people who are involved in or volunteer for our program are safe. This coming year will be our 100th anniversary for this iconic American institution, and we want to make sure that we take the time to ensure our annual broadcast and the surrounding experiences reflect our time-honored tradition.”
The Miss Utah Executive Board determined that in order to keep its volunteers, participants, and their families and fans safe, it would be necessary to postpone until 2021. The board also prioritized creating an equally memorable and safe experience for the Class of 2020 candidates.
“It was very important that our 2020 candidates would be able to have the full Miss Utah experience at the upcoming competition. With all of the changes in recent months, we weren’t positive we could still provide that. It was also crucial for our local programs to have the support they needed to feel confident moving forward with a successful competition,” said Carly Condie, Executive Director of the Miss Utah Scholarship Organization.
Dexonna Talbot will continue her service as Miss Utah until June 2021. In the Fall, she will resume her education at the University of Utah studying ballet performance. She will also continue sharing her message of Servesteem: Increasing Self-Esteem Through Service.
