Miss Columbus all set for Miss Georgia 2016 Pageant

Caroline Elizabeth Carroll almost lost her mother on her 13th birthday.

“She’s had to have multiple blood transfusions, and we weren’t really sure if she was going to make it,” said the 20-year-old about her mother, Beth, who suffers from chronic anemia and rheumatoid arthritis. “We were really glad for the people who donated the blood because that saved her life.”

Now, as Miss Columbus, Carroll is on a mission to spread awareness about the shortage of blood in the medical arena. This week, she will compete in the Miss Georgia Pageant, held June 14-18 in the Bill Heard Theatre at the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts. Her platform is “Blood Donation through the American Red Cross.”

“I chose that as a platform because of my mother,” said Carroll, who has helped the American Red Cross raise 10,000 pints of blood since October. “I vowed that I would increase awareness about the need for blood so nobody would ever have to fear losing their mother, their father or even their own life because of a lack of blood supply.”

Carroll is a lifelong resident of Americus, Ga., and an upcoming junior at the University of Georgia, where she is majoring in political science and international affairs. She said she aspires to be a lawyer specializing in family adoptions.

Carroll began competing in the Miss Georgia Pageant system as a princess and teen contestant, and this is her first time competing at the Miss Georgia level.

“It’s exciting to finally be a ‘Miss’ and competing for the title of Miss Georgia,” she said.

Since winning the Miss Columbus title in September, Carroll has been active in the community, visiting children at local hospitals, holding blood drives and volunteering at Steeplechase and other events. In recent weeks, she’s been busy preparing for her pageant debut, which will include a dance performance of Ballet en Pointe/“Hungarian Dance No. 5.”

This week, the Miss Georgia Pageant will celebrate 72 years of existence, with 90 women competing across the state for academic scholarships and titles. Winners will represent Georgia at the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City in September and Miss America’s Outstanding Teen in Orlando in August.

Tickets may be purchased at www.tickets.com or at the RiverCenter Box Office at 706-256-3612 or www.rivercenter.org. For more information call 706-322-2315.

This story was originally published June 11, 2016 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Miss Columbus all set for Miss Georgia 2016 Pageant."