Photo: Greater Pink Hill Facebook page.

PINK HILL — The annual Miss Merry Christmas Contest is back, marking a 60-year tradition of celebrating community service and holiday spirit among local young women. The contest, which focuses on fostering a sense of community involvement, will take place the Saturday before the Pink Hill Christmas Parade on Dec. 1, 2024.

“We are proud that local young ladies still enjoy participating in something that their mothers and grandmothers may have been a part of,” said Pink Hill resident Suzie Baker.

Open to young women in the 9th to 11th grade, the contest requires participants to be 18 years old or younger, reside in Pink Hill or nearby communities, and be community-minded. Participants are sponsored by local businesses and will take part in a brief, informal "get to know you" interview on Saturday, with the crowned winner riding in the parade on Sunday.

The newly crowned Miss Merry Christmas will be tasked with completing a community service project during her reign and may be asked to participate in future Pink Hill events.

Applications for the contest are due by Nov. 15, 2024, and can be picked up and submitted at Pink Hill Town Hall, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The sponsor fee is $35, payable to the "Town of Pink Hill." Interested individuals without a sponsor can contact the organizers, who may be able to pair them with a local business.

“If you are interested and you do not have a business to sponsor you, we have a few local businesses who are willing to sponsor a young lady and we may be able to pair you up with a local business,” said Baker.

For more details or to register, contact Suzie Baker at 252-560-7812 or Phyllis Burd at 252-526-7315. Only the first 12 applications will be accepted, so early submission is encouraged.