<p>I just got home from a pageant for “America’s Homecoming Queen”. While I cannot comment specifically on the cash amounts or the actual legitimacy of the program, I can tell you what it seemed like. The banquet/dinner & luncheon were definitely over priced. The entire experience was very disorganized and seemed very “fly-by-night”. The pageant director was late getting set up for registration, distracted constantly on her cell phone, and seemed detached and unapproachable. The parents of the SWEET participants (which all of them really seemed to be) were very kind, nice, down to earth, but were very uninformed and were always seeking out answers about where to go for various events. NOONE seemed to be well informed at all, so I did not feel so bad! I just still do not know what to think about the entire experience. I feel as if it was either a poorly planned event or possibly a hoax to raise and solicit money. I have a hard time believing it was a legitimate pageant considering the fact that one state had 2 participants-- TWO-- REALLY? One state had 4. One state had (I believe) 10. One state had 36. I cannot help that believe that more girls would have jumped at the chance to participate if this was a legitimate event. I feel taken advantage of because as other posts have stated, there were high costs associated with this pageant, and what seemed like very little return. I am glad I simply paid the sponsorship fee myself and did not solicit funds. One question keeps running through my mind… HOW is it that if the participants only ever compete one time did the one girl in the top 10 for Pennsylvania have the opportunity ALREADY for this past year to participate in the Liberty Bowl…??? I would welcome constructive feedback from anyone else with personal experience with this organization!</p>