Though she did not take home the title, Miss Idaho Whitney Wood did well at the 2013 Miss America Pageant Saturday night, winning a $1,000 talent award for her strong performance during the preliminary competition on Wednesday, and the $1,000 Louanne Gamba Instrumentalist Award. Wood, a classical pianist, performed an excerpt from American composer Edward MacDowell's "Etude de Concert" that drew cheers from the audience.
Wood, who is from Idaho Falls, also won the $2,000 Four Points Award scholarship for her platform Handbags for Hope, Giving Women Confidence They Can Carry, a program that seeks to boost the self-esteem of homeless women. With the $3,000 participation scholarship all 53 women take home, Wood won a total of $7,000 in scholarships.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.