Forty-seven years of tradition will come into play when the Twenty-One Club presents the 47th Annual Miss Troy Pageant at 7 p.m. March 15, at Troy Elementary School auditorium.

Debbie Groover, club sponsor, said the Miss Troy pageant is a prestigious event that rewards the winner with the opportunity to represent Troy at all local activities and events throughout the year and also to represent Troy at the annual National Peanut Festival in Dothan in the fall.

&uot;Each Miss Troy looks forward to being involved with local events and also with the many opportunities that come through participation in the National Peanut Festival,&uot; Groover said. &uot;The Miss Troy Pageant is a very rewarding experience for all the contestants.

They get to meet new people and gain stage and speaking experience. It's a wonderful opportunity for those who take advantage of it.&uot;

Contestants for the Miss Troy Pageant must be 16 years old at the time of the pageant and 17 years old at the time of the National Peanut Festival.

&uot;The contestants must attend a school within the city limits of Troy,&uot; she said. &uot;They may live outside of Troy, but they must attend school here. And, they must be of good moral character.&uot;

The contestants will be judged by a panel of three judges and receive points in the streetwear and evening gown competitions and for interview and a verbal presentation.

Entertainment for the event will be provided by the She-Bang and Dixie Darlin's dance groups. Miss Troy 2002 Alecia Farmer and Emily Scarbrough, Twenty-One Club president, will emcee the pageant.

&uot;The Twenty-One Club is the sole sponsor of the Miss Troy Pageant and all of the girls have been working extremely hard to make this year's pageant a great success,&uot; Groover said. &uot;This is a fundraising event for the club, but we do it more out of tradition than for the money. We take pride in sponsoring the Miss Troy Pageant each year and we plan to keep that tradition going for many years.&uot;

Tickets for the 2003 Miss Troy Pageant are $5 each and are available from any member of the Twenty-One Club. Tickets will be available the night of the pageant at the same price.