Bringing Back the Miss Florida Citrus Pageant

This is the third installment of Q&A features with Brenda Eubanks Burnette, the 2024 Citrus Achievement Award winner.

What was the motivation to revive the Miss Florida Citrus Pageant and what did it take to get the program up and running again?

Burnette: LaVoyce Leggett Porter, the 1966 Florida Citrus Queen, asked me if I would be interested in resurrecting the pageant as a Miss America preliminary, which meant the winner would compete at Miss Florida and then at the Miss America Pageant. She and her husband, Lanier, gave me $5,000 to start up the pageant, which took place on March 21, 2015, in Winter Haven at the Ritz Theatre.

I managed to coerce my family and friends to help me get the pageant started. We’ve kept it going ever since, along with various sponsors such as the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame and most recently, Florida Citrus Mutual. We currently give two titles: Miss Florida Citrus and Miss Winter Haven, because those are the two titles I held and the only reason I became involved in the citrus industry. My family wasn’t involved in citrus until my father started selling groves late in life.

For the young women who win the pageant, what does it mean to them in terms of actual prizes and their professional and personal development?

Burnette: The winners receive an official crown and sash, along with paid entry to the Miss Florida competition in June. Both titleholders receive support with talent, appearance and mock interviews.

Miss Florida Citrus and Miss Winter Haven receive a $1,000 and $500 scholarship, respectively, The first, second and third place candidates receive $200, $150 and $100, respectively. Other gifts include a citrus-themed Kate Spade purse for Miss Florida Citrus, a $350 gift certificate for each toward a gown at Regalia Magnificent Apparel and numerous gifts from industry sponsors.

Miss Florida Citrus also receives several paid appearances throughout her reign. These have included an annual trip to Texas promoting Florida oranges with Always Fresh Farms, visits to the Florida Welcome Centers and, most recently, a trip to Washington, D.C., as part of an industry contingent visiting with national legislators. Both titleholders also do numerous unpaid appearances throughout their terms.

These appearances and the competition phases assist the young women in developing a well-rounded, informed and intelligent outlook on life that helps prepare them for whatever type of career they may pursue. The networking and additional scholarship money available at the state and potentially national level help educate them and expand their horizons in a way that might not otherwise be available to them.

Special thanks to TJ BioTech for sponsoring the Citrus Achievement Award program.

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