Miss Tennessee Hayley Lewis and Ema McLaughen at July's Scenic City Pageants competition
photo by Harvey Elkins
Miss Tenneessee Teen USA Hannah Faith Greene
photo by Kristy Belcher
Miss Tenneesee's Outstanding Teen Lexie Perry
photo by Darren Lykes
Miss Tennessee Hayley Lewis, Miss Tennessee’s Outstanding Teen Lexie Perry and Miss Tennessee Teen USA Hannah Faith Greene of Chattanooga will be the special guests at Saturday’s Greater Chattanooga Hydrocephalus Walk at Coolidge Park.
Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. and the Opening Ceremonies begin at 10:10 a.m. followed by the 5K Walk at 11 a.m. The Kids Zone will be open from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and the Star Wars characters will be appearing from 1-2 p.m. Volunteers from Silverdale Baptist Church and Academy will be staffing the Food Tent.
WRCB’s LaTrice Currie is the honorary chairman and local radio personality Gene Lovin will be sharing emcee duties with Misses Lewis and Perry.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the Hydrocephalus Association which will be used for research in finding a cure for the condition which is known as “water on the brain” that affects over one million Americans. Hydrocephalus is the most common reason for children to have brain surgery and estimates are that for every 1,000 births in the country, two will be diagnosed with the condition.
Five-year-old Ema McLaughen of Ooltewah, who is the daughter of Walk coordinator Chara McLaughen, has had nine surgeries since being diagnosed before birth. One of her wishes was to attend the Miss Tennessee Pageant and she became an instant celebrity at the June event receiving statewide and national media coverage.
Three of her favorite titleholders will be at the event supporting her and all of the walk participants.
Miss Lewis, who won her local title in Chattanooga prior to being named Miss Tennessee, was a top 10 finalist at the recent Miss America Pageant. Miss Perry was the first runner-up and talent winner at August’s Miss America’s Outstanding Teen competition and Miss Greene, a junior at Girls’ Preparatory School, was named Miss Tennessee Teen USA earlier this month.