FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Cassidy Grimes, Public Relations Director
251.622.5335 (office) cassidy@ajm.org

CONCORDIA TEEN TO COMPETE FOR $125,000;
PRELIMS BEGIN THURSDAY

The 52nd AJM National Finals will kick off on Thursday, June 25, with the first preliminary of competition. Twenty five of the ladies from the AJM Class of 2009 will compete in physical fitness and self expression, while the other twenty five will compete in talent. Satellite scholarship awards will be presented at the end of the night.

Mallory Gilliland of Concordia will represent the state of Kansas during tonight’s competition. Gilliland is the daughter of Phil and Brenda Gilliland and plans to attend Kansas State University to study mass media in the fall. During the first preliminary competition, Gilliland will compete in Talent and on Friday she will compete in Fitness and Self Expression during the second preliminary competition. During the talent portion, Gilliland will perform a dance to Little Bitty Pretty One.

On Saturday, AJM will announce the ten finalists who will then compete in each of the three areas again. Interview and scholastics scores will be added into each young woman’s overall score.

For more information on Gilliland please visit www.ajm.org/media/junior_misses/class_of_2009/kansas.

The Class of 2009 will compete for a share of $125,000 in cash scholarships and the title of America’s Junior Miss 2009 at the 52nd Annual National Finals on June 27. The program will be broadcast live at 7 p.m. June 27 on WPMI-TV 15's Web site, www.nbc15online.com. Tickets are available at www.ajm.org or by calling 251-438-3621.

AJM’s national sponsors for 2009 are the City of Mobile, Mobile County, Encore Rehabilitation, Alabama Power, Regions Bank, and Mobile Gas.

For more information, please contact Cassidy Grimes, AJM Public Relations Director, at 251-622-5335 or cassidy@ajm.org, or visit www.ajm.org.

~AJM~