As any girl who went to her high school prom knows, glamour is expensive. And while the Miss America Foundation offers hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships every year, we can’t help but wonder how much it costs just getting to the pageant.
Imagine our surprise when Vice President and Business Manager of Miss New Jersey Mary Lou Cake let us know that Miss New Jersey actually doesn’t pay for much, thanks to the many generous sponsors willing to donate their products and services.
“You really don’t have to spend money to participate (in a pageant),” Cake says. “I know girls who have won pageants who have gone out and got their dresses from thrift stores or borrowed it.”
Armed with this information, we changed gears. Instead of focusing on how much it does cost to be in the Miss America pageant, we laid out how much it would cost, as well as where our most recent Miss New Jersey, Brenna Weick, will get her swag from this year.
Things we left out
It takes a village — or a state — to prep our chosen representative for Miss America. As Cake says, “Everybody has contributed something in some way shape or form.”
There are sponsors like Dr.’s Eyecare Center (4423 US Rt. 130, Burlington), which offers eye exams, contacts and sunglasses to Miss New Jersey, and the Holtzman Gallery at the Claridge Hotel (Park Place, Atlantic City), which creates her portrait. Plus, this list could take up several pages if we got down to the minutiae of things like teeth whitening, spray tans, specific accessories — many of which are donated by the online services L.V. Kiki — and the like. So, for all of our sakes, we narrowed it down.
Another big expense is talent prep, which could go back years to tiny tutus and reluctantly attended piano lessons. Voice lessons, for example, can be hundreds of dollars an hour for a professional, well-reputed teacher. Cultivating a talent certainly takes time and money, and should be considered when estimating cost.
A surprising detail we got from Cake is that, at least at the level of Miss America, the contestants don’t really use pageant coaches.
“We don’t encourage using pageant coaches,” Cake says. “We do have former Miss New Jerseys who will usually step up and help her if she wants to do mock interviews or get critiques on her talent. It’s not a paid coach per se. We’re very fortunate that our girls are very well rounded.”
That said, it’s important to note that we’re analyzing the national level here. So, girls participating in regional pageants, working their way up to the big Miss A, probably would need to invest in some coaching and put out money for glam.
The cash on the line
With all of the glitz and pageantry associated with the Miss America competition, it’s easy to forget that awarding scholarships is a huge part of the Miss America Foundation. According to the Miss America website, the scholarships funded by the foundation this year reaches a total of $210,000. Awards range from $500 for the Louanne Gamba (Lulu) Instrumental Award to $52,000 for the Academic Achievement Award and Community Service Award.
As to what the winner takes home, last year Betty Cantrell won $50,000 for the title of Miss America alone, while the first runner up Hannah Roberts received $25,000 for her second-place spot.
Swimsuit
Irene West (online):
Around $250
Evening wear
Coco’s Chateau (1770 US-46, Little Falls)
Custom couture gown: $3,500 to $4,000
Hair and makeup
Le Reve Salon (2110 Route 70 East, Cherry Hill):
A woman’s blow dry and style: $40 and up
Up-do: $85 and up|
Make up services: around $75
Miscellaneous outfits
Dare Boutique (Cross Country Plaza,
2110 Marlton Pike East, Cherry Hill): Outfits range from $150 to $600 for a gown. Other clothing sponsors include Ta Dah (Ocean City, 1026 Asbury Ave., Ocean City) and Finally … Arrived (2083 Marlton Pike, East Cherry Hill).
Personal trainer
Training Aspects (910 County Rte 561,
Voorhees Township):
Training that focuses on corrective exercises and physical health inside and out ranges from $15 to $90 a session.
Photography
Richard Krauss:
“Pageant Portrait Package:” $399, which includes a photo session, makeup if needed, two retouched photos, a crown and banner shot, a package of photos for their own use and 100 autograph cards for appearances.
Necklace
Bernie Robbins (507 New Road, Somers Point):
Sold gold, hand-made, NJ-shaped necklace with diamond placed in the location of Miss NJ’s hometown: $1,000
Transportation
VIP Auto Outlet (2809 Rt. 73, Maple Shade):
White BMW X1: MSRP starts at $35,100, which Miss New Jersey will drive for the year. Gas cards provided from CITGO Gas Company.
http://www.atlanticcityweekly.com/just_for_fun/the-cost-of-becoming-miss-america/article_bd9f25a0-7543-11e6-8ed8-071937ec2fe7.html