34 to Compete in Miss Long Beach Pageant Feb. 15

The Miss Long Beach Pageant will be held at 7 p.m. Feb. 15 in the Centennial Ballroom of the Sheraton hotel, 333 E. Ocean Blvd. Thirty-four contestants will be competing for the crown presently worn by Wendy Leigh Christensen.

Miss Long Beach is the official ambassador of the city and spends a whole year attending charity functions, civic events and greeting celebrities. She also will represent Long Beach in the Miss California-USA Pageant.

The pageant dates back to 1952 when the winner was known as Miss Welcome to Long Beach and the event coincided with the Miss Universe Pageant that started the same year.

Ticket packages are available until Feb. 14 for $20 each, which include admission ($20 value), a ticket to the Coronation Ball ($5 value), which starts about 10 p.m. after the pageant, and a program ($2 value). All items will be sold at face value the day of the pageant.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit the local efforts of Cities in Schools, a student dropout prevention program that operates in Long Beach as well as nationally. For ticket information and purchases, contact the Long Beach Junior Chamber of Commerce at 985-3436.