Lauren Nelson to Present President’s Volunteer Service Award at Oklahoma Pageant

Washington, D.C. - Miss American 2007 Lauren Nelson and the Miss America Organization will join with the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation to recognize volunteers who have dedicated at least 100 hours of their time to communities, the Council and the Organization announced today.

“We are delighted that Miss America and the Miss America Organization are helping us honor extraordinary individuals who make critical contributions to improve lives and strengthen communities in our nation,” said Shannon Maynard, Executive Director of the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.

Nelson, who was crowned Miss America 2007 on January 29 in Las Vegas, will launch the national volunteer recognition initiative on June 4 at the Miss Oklahoma Pageant in her home state. There, she will recognize an individual who has volunteered numerous hours to the Miss America Organization and its community service initiatives.

The recipient is Kay Alexander, the Executive Director of the Miss Oklahoma Scholarship Pageant. “Kay is deserving of this presidential honor because not only is she making a difference in her community, but she is also inspiring others to follow her example,” said Art McMaster, the Organization’s President and CEO.

“I am thrilled help the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation recognize individuals who have dedicated their time to volunteering,” Nelson added. “I am especially honored that Kay Alexander will be the first person I get to present this award to because her dedication to the Miss Oklahoma Scholarship Program is legendary.”

The Miss America Organization was established in 1921 and helps build more caring communities by supporting educational programs that engage and inspire young people in meaningful acts of service. On an annual basis, Miss America state and local titleholders, along with the Organization's network of volunteers, participate in more than 12,000 community service projects, providing in excess of 500,000 service hours to worthy causes.

The President’s Volunteer Service Award was created by President George W. Bush and is issued by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation to recognize and encourage sustained volunteer service and to make volunteering a central part of the lives of all Americans.

The 25-member President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation was given a charge by President Bush to promote an ethic of service and to recognize the millions of Americans who are giving back to their communities through generous acts of service. Administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, together with the USA Freedom Corps, the Council brings together leaders from the worlds of business, entertainment, sports, education, government, nonprofits, and the media to promote their efforts.

More than 20,000 organizations are part of the Council’s network and together they have honored more than a half million of America’s volunteers with the President’s Volunteer Service Award. To learn more about the Council and its members, please visit http://www.volunteer.gov. To learn more about the President’s Volunteer Service Award Program, administered by the Points of Light Foundation and Volunteer Center National Network, please visit http://www.presidentialserviceawards.gov.

The Miss America Organization is one of the nation's leading achievement programs and the world's largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women. Last year, the Miss America Organization and its state and local organizations made available more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance. For more information, go to http://www.missamerica.org.

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