Fourteen Compete Oct. 11 for 2009 Miss Food City Title

BRISTOL, Tenn. – The annual Miss Food City Pageant is scheduled on Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. at the Paramount Center for the Arts in downtown Bristol.
The winner will represent Food City during its sponsorship of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Food City 500 and the Nationwide Series Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway and other race related activities. The winner will also represent Food City at various other company-related functions throughout 2009.
Tickets are $5 with children ages 5 and under admitted free. They are available at the door the night of the pageant. Those attending the pageant will be eligible for door prizes throughout the evening, including two tickets to the sold-out 2009 Food City 500.
The pageant will be directed by the ladies of the Twin City Woman’s Club, and the proceeds raised from the pageant will benefit their sponsored projects.

2009 Miss Food City Pageant contestants
-- LINDSEY BLEVINS, 21, resides in Wise, Va. She is a senior at UVa-Wise and is completing a school internship at Norton Community Hospital. She will graduate in May 2009 with a bachelor of arts degree in biology and become the first traditional college student in her family. She plans to pursue a second degree in nursing to become a heathcare provider in the Southwest Virginia area.
-- BETHANY BOYER, 18, resides in Corryton, Tenn. She attends Pellissippi State Technical Community College and is employed by Food City in Knoxville. She aspires to become a high school math teacher.
-- AMBER JOY DALTON, 22, lives in Knoxville, Tenn. She is a 2008 graduate of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Amber is currently employed as a dental hygienist by doctors Mark Luck and J.T. Major of Knoxville. She hopes to receive a master’s degree in public health and to become a director of community service programs.
-- BRITTANY DAVIS, 19, resides in Kingsport, Tenn. She attends East Tennessee State University and is employed by Wilson Pharmacy. She aspires to attend ETSU College of Pharmacy and hopes to study abroad in Italy for a year to learn more about the culture and how pharmacy is practiced in another country.
-- SABRINA KAY ELLIS, 19, resides in Big Stone Gap, Va. She is attending Mountain Empire Community College and is employed by Food City in Big Stone Gap. Her greatest accomplishment is being accepted to the radiology program at Mountain Empire Community College. She aspires to obtain a degree in radiology.
-- CAITLIN HATCHER, 18, lives in Abingdon, Va. and attends Emory & Henry College. She plans to complete her college education and then attend medical school to eventually become a cardiac surgeon.
-- HUNTER HYATT, 20, resides in Johnson City, Tenn. She is attending ETSU. She is a professional horseback-riding instructor for Landmark Farms of Johnson City. She plans to graduate with a degree in broadcast journalism, become a sportscaster and would also like to pursue a modeling and acting career.
-- JAIME LEIGH JACKSON, 23, resides in Davenport, Va. She is attending King College and is employed by Clinch Valley Medical Center. Her accomplishments include graduating cum laude in May 2006 from Southwest Virginia Community College with an associates degree in nursing, general studies and science. She wants to obtain a bachelor of science degree in nursing at King College and further her education by obtaining a master degree in nursing with a concentration in nurse anesthesia and become a certified registered nurse anesthetist.
-- DANIELLE OSBORNE, 18, is from Church Hill, Tenn. She is employed by Food City in Church Hill. She plans to attend Northeast State Community College in the spring of 2009. She aspires to attend Kingsport Academy of Hair Design to obtain a cosmetologist license and hopes to relocate to Nashville to pursue a career as a runway model hairstylist.
-- ALISON GRACE RAY, 23, resides in Wise, Va. She is a 2007 UVa-Wise graduate and is attending King College. She is employed as the coordinator of media services by UVa-Wise. Her greatest accomplishments include graduating from UVa-Wise with a B.S. in business administration and reviving UVa-Wise’s campus TV station (CAV-TV) in an effort to provide students a creative outlet. Her future goal is to complete the MBA program at King.
-- CATY ROSE, 20, is from Kingsport, Tenn. She is attending Northeast State Community College and is employed by The Paper Tree. Her plans are to obtain a sociology degree and to pursue a masters in nursing or to attend esthetics school.
-- KASELINN DYANNE SELLS, 20, lives in Abingdon, Va. She is attending Virginia Highlands Community College and is employed by Terrific Tan. She is proud of being one of 45 students to be accepted in the Virginia Appalachian Tri-College Nursing Program. She hopes to obtain a master of science degree in nursing and to pursue a career to educate and to instill compassion in future nursing students.
-- BRITTANY WILSON, 24, resides in Bristol, Va. She is a 2006 graduate of Emory & Henry College with a BA in mass communications. She is employed by Dawn of Hope of Johnson City, Tenn. Her goal is to start a business that will promote local artists and musicians.
-- LACIE LEIGH YATES, 19, resides in Gray, Tenn. She attends Tri-City Beauty College and is employed by Yong Asian House in Gray. She plans to work as a stylist, while attending college part-time to earn a degree in education.

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MISS FOOD CITY WINNERS:
The first pageant was held in the Bristol Mall in 1992. Previous winners include:
Janet Barton - 1992 and 1993
Meredith Blankenship - 1994
Tracy Wilson - 1995
April Elswick - 1996
Lisa Tollett - 1997
Christin Wilson - 1998
Erica Hembree - 1999
Amanda Greene - 2000
Misty Horn - 2001
Ronna Compton - 2002
April Owens - 2003
Kimberly Coen - 2004
Megan Ashe - 2005
Mally Gent - 2006
Britney Hagy - 2007
Jennifer Whittington - 2008