Dawson County's Miss Relay for Life pageant has been scheduled for March and applications are now being accepted for the annual fundraising event.

This year's pageant will take place on March 5 in the Dawson County Junior High School Auditorium.

The event is open to all females from birth through 12th grade.

The annual fundraiser collected $3,500 last year for cancer research and hosted 32 contestants.

Committee lead for Relay for Life Kris Rowan is hoping for an even better turn out.

"We are hoping for more contestants this year," Rowan said. "We have just started to advertise, but our response has been positive so far."

Contestants are grouped into eight age groups beginning with Baby Miss for newborns through 18 months, Tiny Miss for ages 19-35 months, Teeny Miss for ages 3-4 years old, Petite Miss for 5 years old through first grade, Sweetheart for second and third grade, Junior Miss for fourth and fifth grade, Teen Miss for sixth through eighth grade and Miss for ninth through 12th.

Participants are judged on age appropriateness of their attire, overall appearance and stage presence.

For each of the age divisions, awards will be given to the winner plus first and second runners up.

One contestant will be awarded Ambassador Queen for raising the most money to be donated to the American Cancer Society.

There are also several optional categories for contestants to compete in for each age division. Those include photogenic, prettiest dress, prettiest smile, prettiest eyes and prettiest hair. To participate in the optional categories, contestants must register and submit additional $10 fee per category.

Contestants in the junior, teen and miss divisions will have to be prepared to answer an on-stage question during the competition: What is your reason to Relay?

To participate, an application with the $25 fee must be submitted by March 3. A $20 late fee is added for applications submitted at rehearsal on March 4.

Applications should be mailed to Dawson County Parks and Rec at P.O. Box 808, Dawsonville, GA 30534. Checks should be made payable to American Cancer Society.

To find out more, contact Kris Rowan at (706) 344-3646 or by email at krowan@dawsoncounty.org.