Here to receive the proclamation is Taylor Tyson – Current Miss Florida. Also, in attendance are Keith Williams- Executive Director of the Miss Florida Competition, Neal Duncan – Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing and John Oney – RP Funding Center.
The Miss Florida competition will celebrate its 84th installment at the RP Funding Center’s Youkey Theater June 24-29, 2019, bringing a $2-million-dollar economic impact to Lakeland and Polk County. The Miss Florida competition serves as a preliminary competition to the Miss America competition, the world’s largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women. This summer’s newly crowned Miss Florida 2019, will represent the State of Florida at the 2020 Miss America competition. Miss Florida 2018, Taylor Tyson, won the title in June 2018, when she competed with 40 other young ladies for the opportunity to represent the Sunshine State. Taylor competed in the 2019 Miss America competition and was named the third runner up and a preliminary Talent winner receiving additional scholarship support. Miss Florida will travel the state from the panhandle to the keys serving as a goodwill ambassador promoting the Miss Florida Scholarship Competition and will serve as an advocate for the national partner of the Miss America organization national platform partner, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Miss Florida will become an ambassador for Advanced Recovery Systems, Real Talk program for the prevention of teen substance abuse and the promotion and protection of America’s Everglades to school children throughout the state. The Miss Florida’s outstanding teen program features ladies between the ages of 13 and 17 competing for the honor of representing the State of Florida at the 2020 Miss America’s outstanding teen pageant in Orlando, Florida, accompanying Miss Florida during her reign and serving as a goodwill ambassador throughout the state.