 OREGON
COUNTY TIMES, Sept. 10, 1998– Submitted by a Friend of Free Genealogy - 2009 McDONALD PREPARING FOR MISS AMERICA PAGEANT Miss Missouri Deborah McDonald of Alton left on September 3 to spend three to four days in Florida at Disney World for practice and preliminary preparations for the Miss America pageant. The pageant will be held on Saturday, September 19 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Miss McDonald and the other contestants arrived in Atlantic City on Labor Day, about two weeks before the final pageant night. There is much that goes on in those two weeks. The first week is spent in rehearsal, which goes from early morning to late at night. The second week begins with interviewing with the judges, followed by the talent competition, swim suit competition and the formal gown competition. Deborah will be in the first night of the talent competition. A parade will be held in Atlantic City on Friday, September 18. Each girl will ride in a convertible, wearing formals and funky shoes. At some point they will raise their formals to show their funky shoes. Deborah has had several appearances since winning the Miss Missouri pageant on June 6, 1998. Some of those appearances include the following: Alton Chamber of Commerce, Thayer Fourth of July Celebration, Thayer Country Music Theater, Alton Courthouse for an Interagency Council, Figuro’s in West Plains, where she spoke to another Interagency Council, a celebrity golf tournament in Kansas City, Bub Ranch 4-H meeting, another pageant, a car show in Mexico, MO, an appearance in Southeast Missouri and at a Special Olympics. Deborah has had several persons who could be considered mentors for her. They include the following: Cherry Fite of West Plains, the local pageant director; Ann Dotson, music director at Alton Schools, who is still helping her with voice lessons; Bill Wolf of the Missouri pageant, who has helped her with the background music for the song that she will be singing in the talent portion of the Miss America pageant; and Southwest Missouri State University-West Plains, who has been an encouragement to her. Deborah will be singing a song recorded by both Dolly Parton and Whitney Houston entitled, "I Will Always Love You."  Helen McDonald, Deborah’s mother, will be attending the pageant in Atlantic City along with several others from the state and at least two other local people and the Missouri Pageant Director. They are having T-shirts made in support of Deborah that they will be wearing. Mrs. McDonald stated that she and Deborah appreciates all the support of all the people in the area. The Miss America winner receives a scholarship, and Deborah plans to use hers, should she win, to further her education by obtaining a Doctor’s Degree and teaching on the college level. We wish her the best! Note: Deborah McDonald was second runner-up in the 1998 Miss America pageant.
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