Pickett to represent county in Junior Miss

By Staff
Jonathan Willis FCT Staff Writer
If the Russellville Golden Tigers advance to next Saturday's state football championship game in Hoover, there will be one noticeable absence.
Head cheerleader Addie Pickett won't be there. Instead, she will be representing Franklin County in the Alabama Junior Miss competition in Montgomery.
Pickett won the county competition at the University of North Alabama in August and has been preparing for the state competition, which will be held Dec. 10-11, since that time.
The state competition will feature 58 candidates all vying for over $50,000 in cash tuition scholarships and more than $2.2 million in college granted scholarships.
Pickett and her parents, Wally and Penny Pickett, of Russellville, left for Montgomery following the Golden Tigers state semi-final playoff game against Athens Friday night.
That will be the last interaction with her family until the finals Saturday night.
Pickett had the opportunity to meet most of the other girls competing in the finals at an orientation on Nov. 6.
She said that it will be hard not speaking to her family and friends for the week, but the support she has gotten makes it easier.
The competition will consist of five different categories that include scholastics, interview, talent, fitness and poise. The Junior Miss competition is the largest and oldest scholarship program for high school girls in the nation and gives out over $80 million annually.
The national finals will be held in Mobile in June.
The Junior Miss program encourages family and friends to send letters of inspiration to the contestants throughout the week.
Letters to Pickett can be sent to: Addie Pickett in c/o of the Hopes at 1025 Hallwood Lane in Montgomery, Ala., 36117-8894.