Melissa Lynn O'Neal, of Crossville, was crowned the 2010 Miss Food City.
The 2010 Miss Food City 500 Pageant showcased 14 young women from across the region. Each girl entered the beautiful Paramount Center for the Arts in downtown Bristol, TN, with hopes of winning the title. O'Neal is a 23-year-old student at Belmont University.
"I am so honored to be the new Miss Food City," O'Neal said. "I'm looking forward to working with this outstanding company during the next year. Thank you to everyone that made this special event possible."
O'Neal will represent Food City during the Food City 500 and the Food City 250 NASCAR events at Bristol Motor Speedway during 2010. In addition to those responsibilities, O'Neal will also represent Food City at various other company events.
O'Neal enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, going to the lake, reading, modeling, watching NASCAR races and participating in pageants. She was featured in Fashion Showcase for pageantry/prom Time Magazine's spring 2009 issue. She was president of the Campus Activities Board and a member of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society at Roane State Community College. She is most proud of her volunteer work with various organizations including Teens Against Drugs Center, Bread of Life Rescue Mission, Relay for Life, Salvation Army and an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. She plans to obtain a bachelor's degree in mass communication and pursue a career as a broadcast personality. She hopes to study abroad, continue to promote volunteerism and one day have a family of her own.
Steve Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer, said, "Each one of the young ladies who entered is to be commended and we thank them for their participation in the Miss Food City Pageant. We are extremely proud to have Melissa representing Food City. She will be an excellent spokesperson for our company."
