If she can win Fort Mill’s pageant, why stop there? Where strawberry could go next.

Winning a crown at the South Carolina Strawberry Festival Pageant is an accomplishment in itself. Now it could be just the beginning.

Beth Vanderwalker, director of the Fort Mill pageant, announced Tuesday the reigning Teen and Miss queens will represent the Strawberry Festival in November’s Miss South Carolina USA pageant. The Strawberry Festival event also becomes an official preliminary contest for the Miss USA system.

“The Miss SC USA organization has a proud history in South Carolina,” Vanderwalker said. “We are one of the very few states that have had our state title winner win Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, Miss World and Miss Universe.”

The Strawberry Festival event in May was the eighth annual event. Founded by Patti Mercer, it grew not only in contestants but with the idea of “cause before crown.” This year’s winners work with Alzheimer’s awareness, student mentoring and animal welfare. Past winner Dana Boutwell’s Cookies for Kids Cancer effort is still going with yellow ribbons popping up each September.

September will be five years and already the campaign raised more than $200,000.

“The community has just been so supportive,” said Boutwell, the 2013 Mrs. South Carolina Strawberry Festival and 2016 Mrs. South Carolina International winner.

She has worked with a dozen area families facing pediatric cancer.

“It’s just been an honor for us to be a voice for them,” Boutwell said.

With the new partnerships, Strawberry Festival pageant organizers are looking for sponsorships for its winners. For more information, call 704-604-9406.

This story was originally published July 18, 2017 at 4:54 PM with the headline "If she can win Fort Mill’s pageant, why stop there? Where strawberry could go next.."