Thirty-two women will compete for the title of Miss New Jersey.
The Miss America Organization announced earlier this year a three-year deal to host the pageant at the casino, which was the host the last time the competition was held in 2019.
“After a year off, I think this year’s pageant is actually fantastic.
“Waiting 11 months, just to wait another 11 months was crazy,” said Miss Eastern Shore, Molly Marie Pugliese, 20, of Egg Harbor Township.
Throughout the pandemic, the competitors and organization had to adapt to constantly changing COVID-19 safety guidelines and regulations. Restrictions affected how many people could be in the audience, if any at all, to the possibility of this year’s pageant being live streamed.
Miss Atlantic Shores Rachelle Legrand was determined to continue her social impact initiative throughout the pandemic. She found herself adjusting by leading virtual talks for her social impact initiative, “Start the Conversation,” which is an initiative to encourage conversations about diversity and inclusion.
“I had to rely on social media, my sponsors, and the community to adjust and stay in touch with people,” said Watts, 21, whose social impact initiative is Pediatric Stroke Awareness. Watts suffered a stroke when she was 11, and she credits her mother, who recognized her daughter was having a stroke, with saving her life.
Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.Don’t Threaten.
The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories.