It’s time to order badges and/or tickets for Miss America 2009, the dates for which are January 20-24, 2009.  Planet Hollywood is the Pageant Hotel.

I must have all badge/ticket requests and payments no later than Friday, November 7 in order to include your request with those from the Miss Virginia Organization.  You may email me with your orders.  Checks should be made payable to “Miss Virginia Organization” and mailed to:  Toni McLawhorn, 3527 Penn Forest Blvd., Roanoke, VA 24018.    Following are specifics on the badges and tickets:

Badges:

A photo ID badge will be required for access to open rehearsals and visitation after the preliminaries and final night competition.  Badges are $35 each and require a photo.  Checks for badges should be submitted to Toni McLawhorn.  If you have attended the MAO National Finals in Las Vegas in the last two years and previously ordered a badge, MAO has your photo on file.  If there is no photo on file, one will have to be submitted directly to MAO via email as a .jpg file by November 14!!  Identify your photo by name, state, and your title (Board position, local committee position, guest, etc.).  This is YOUR responsibility to provide your photo directly to MAO; email to badge@missamerica.org.  Be sure to identify it with the state and your name (and position with the pageant, if applicable).  Any badge that requires a photo be taken in Las Vegas will cost $50 per badge, and Billie Sue advises that you’ll have to wait in a line of an hour or more to accomplish this task.  During the last week of Pageant, all badges will cost $50 per badge.  Replacement cost for lost badges will be $50 regardless of previous payment.  Children ages five (5) years and under will not require a badge but must be accompanied by an adult wearing a photo ID at all times. 

Tickets:

Tickets are available at the following prices:

Season Seats (all four nights) - $250 per ticket

Single Night Seats:

                Tuesday only - $75 per ticket

                Wednesday only - $75 per ticket

                Thursday only - $75 per ticket

                Saturday only - $150 per ticket

Tickets will be assigned by a ticket lottery and will be mailed to the Miss Virginia Office in December 2008.  Season ticket purchasers will be given priority seating and a discounted package price.  Those purchasing single night seats will be assigned seats only after all season seats have been assigned.  The Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino will begin selling general admission tickets through Ticket Master beginning December 13.

Housing Reservation Request for Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino:

If you wish to secure a hotel room at the MAO rate at the Planet Hollywood, complete the attached form and then either fax it or scan/email it to the Miss America Office no later than December 9, after which rooms will revert back to the hotel for general sale.  Again, the state organization will not be involved in this process.  The special MAO room rate is $179.00 single or double, plus taxes.  An additional $30 per person per night (plus applicable taxes) is charged for a 3^rd or 4^th person in the same room.  One night’s deposit WILL be charged upon receipt of the reservation through MAO.  

Can’t go to Miss America???  Or just want to have something to read while on the plane??  The 2009 Miss America Competition Magazine is being sold in advance by mail this year, and for every magazine purchased by patrons of the Miss Virginia Organization, $3 will be donated back to our state pageant!!  Competition books are $15 each, plus shipping.  Click the link for an order form for the 2009 Competition Magazine.  Order through www.missamerica.org/shopping (the 2009 book is not yet up on the website, so keep checking if you wish to order online!!)  You will deal directly with MAO on this order, not through the state organization.