BLYTHEWOOD – Blythewood Town Council approved a request for $4,000 in Accommodations Taxes last week for the upcoming Miss Blythewood Beauty Pageant.
Mayor J. Michael Ross and council members discussed the request from pageant director Traci Cooper on Jan. 8. Because the funds are local accommodation tax dollars and not state accommodation tax dollars, the award did not have to be approved by the Town’s Accommodations Tax committee, according to Ross.
The pageant will serve as a preliminary event for the Miss South Carolina/Miss America pageants.
According to information provided to council by pageant Cooper, who was not present for the meeting, the pageant revenue is affected by the number of contestants. With five entrants, a minimum revenue of $6,550 is expected. Additional revenue will be realized for each additional contestant. The pageant expects to also raise revenue by selling sponsorships for $100 each to local business, Cooper said in an interview with The Voice. The request notes that all projections are subject to change.
Total expenditures for the pageant are set at $8,400.
The pageant, which will crown a Miss Blythewood and a Miss Blythewood Teen, will be held on Saturday, Feb. 2, in the Blythewood High School auditorium. Miss Blythewood will receive a $1,000 scholarship and Miss Blythewood Teen will receive a $500 scholarship.
Cooper said the pageant will boost tourism for the town, with figures projecting over 300 visitors to the event itself. Cooper estimated that twenty percent of those numbers (60) would be from out-of-town visitors.
“A Miss Blythewood pageant will help the town enhance our housing and urban development, economic development, tourism and historic preservation while embracing new traditions to attract new residents,” Cooper stated in her request to the town for the Accommodations Tax funding.
“Aligning the town with a program that includes scholarship opportunities presents a winning opportunity for Blythewood,” Ross said.
“In addition to the education opportunity of the scholarships, having our very own Miss Blythewood to represent our town at the Miss South Carolina pageant will be a great opportunity. Being able to see her on stage wearing the Blythewood sash amongst all the other finalists will be a proud moment,” Ross stated.
Entrants for the pageant can come from anywhere in the state, Cooper said. The last winner was a resident of Columbia.
According to Cooper, she expects the winner of the Miss Blythewood title to participate in numerous community service activities, media interviews and special appearances.
For more information go to www.missblythewoodqueens.com.
