LEESBURG — One beauty pageant elevates upstanding young Floridian women we’ve come to know as our “hometown girls.”
The 2024 competition took place Nov. 8–10 at Hyatt Place Orlando, coordinated by the nonprofit Florida’s Hometown U.S.A Program Inc., which also presents the Miss Florida’s Hometown USA Pageant.
For this year’s Miss Florida’s Hometown USA, a committee selects winners among contestants in five age divisions, from girls aged 4 to 19.
At the event, two Lake and Sumter County-area young women were selected to represent their hometown throughout Florida for 2025. They will spend a year giving back to their hometown through volunteer work.
ShaKira Huff, from Wildwood, is also Miss Sumter County 2024. She was selected as Miss Hometown America’s college representative. The daughter of Willie and Christina Huff, she currently attends Hillsborough Community College.
“For many years I have watched the Miss Florida’s Hometown Pageant from a distance and knew it was something I’ve always wanted to do,” Huff posted on Facebook. “The system and the girls have always have been an inspiration to me. … To say 2024 has been good to me is an understatement!”
Harper Richey, who won Junior Miss Leesburg in 2023, was selected as the middle school representative. From Fruitland Park, the daughter of Sarah and Justin Richey attends the Villages Charter School.
Other queens donning this year’s Hometown sash were from Melbourne, Middleburg and Apopka also received honors.
The pageant organization is also a certifying organization for the President’s Volunteer Service Award. Students who complete eligible service within 12 months and complete unpaid acts of volunteer service benefitting others will receive an award.
This year, for the first time in its program of 38 years, Meagann Goodridge received a Life Time Volunteer Award for 4,000 hours over 5 years. She was last year’s college-age winner of Miss Florida’s Hometown USA and Miss Leesburg in 2021.
Goodridge, from Fruitland Park, is the daughter of Tammy and Wayne Goodridge.
“This is the town I grew up in and I love the historical and beautiful places we have to offer,” Goodridge said of Leesburg in an interview with the Daily Commercial when she won Miss Leesburg. “This community can come together whether through good or bad and help each other out,” she said.
Goodridge has worked diligently, pageant founder Linda Watts said.
“Many times Meagann had other fun things to do but she put volunteering first when she knew someone needed her help.”
Florida’s Hometown USA Program was formed in 1986. The purpose of the program is to educate young women of Florida on the values of volunteer work and inspire them to make a difference in the lives of their neighbors through volunteer commitment.
Learn more at flhometownusa.com.
This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: ‘Hometown’ girls win statewide pageant — winners from Lake and Sumter County announced
