The title of Miss Shelby County was well represented at the Miss Alabama and Top Ten Finalist Scholarship Luncheon and Fashion Show, held Jan. 3 at The Club in Birmingham.

The sell–out luncheon is given each year to raise scholarship money for the Miss Alabama Pageant and to showcase Miss Alabama in the clothing she will wear for the Miss American Pageant, coming up on Jan. 24 on the TLC channel.

The top nine Miss Alabama finalists also serve as models, wearing clothes provided by sponsors such as Gus Mayer, The Clothes Tree and evening wear specifically designed by North Oaks Inc.

This year Amie Beth Dickinson Shaver, who served as Miss Shelby County 1992 and later became Miss Alabama in 1992, served as one of the emcees. Miss Alabama 2008 is Amanda Tapley, of North Shelby. She attends Samford University where she is a music and pre-med major.

Three of the finalists in the Miss Alabama 2008 pageant have held the title of Miss Shelby County. Katie Boyd, Miss Shelby County 2005, was first runner–up last year. She is from Pelham and attends Samford University pursuing a doctorate in pharmacy. Her platform is “Take 5 – An Underage Smoking Campaign.” Others who modeled were Susannah Higgins, Miss Shelby County 2006, and Liz Cochran, Miss Shelby County 2008. Susannah is from Columbiana and attends the University of Montevallo where she majors in elementary and collaborative education. Her platform is “Project PACH, Providing All Children Homes.” Liz is from Helena and attends Birmingham Southern where she is a dance major. Her platform is “With Every Beat, Fighting Cardiovascular Disease.”

The Vignette Club sponsors the Miss Shelby County pageant each year. Last year more than $12,300 in tuition grants, scholarships and gifts were given to the winners.

Attending the luncheon was the founder of the Miss Shelby County pageant, Carol Hill, and daughter, Hayden Hill Jeffries, current director of the Miss Shelby County Pageant. Vignette President, Phyllis French, Tresa House and Donna Morris also attended. The Vignettes invited Miss Shelby County 2009 Jessica Andrews and her mother, Joy Andrews, to attend. Jessica graduated from Jacksonville State University and is a kindergarten teacher at Meadow View Elementary. Her platform is “Passion Performance,” which is a program to give all children the opportunity to dance. She will compete in the Miss Alabama 2009 pageant June 3-6 at Samford University.

The Miss Shelby County 2010 pageant will be Friday, July 17 at Shelby County High School. For information, contact Hayden Jeffries at 669-4013 or by e–mail at hayden_jeffries@bellsouth.net.