Hometown girls looking to bring home the crown in this year’s Miss Arizona competition

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The Miss Arizona Organization’s competition is next weekend following a year of being dark due to the pandemic. The annual competition is back on and there are two local ladies, in Phoenix, representing Yuma County. Whoever wins the competition goes on to train for the Miss America title.

Miss Yuma County Gabriella Heinz and Miss Yuma County Teen Ellie Evans have been waiting a year for this moment.

“It was supposed to be last June, they pushed it into august and then into October. Finally, in October, they're like this is not going to happen," Heinz said. "The nationals had canceled Miss America 2020, it was said that everything's going to roll over to 2021. So then the state competitions got the go-ahead to reschedule to next summer,” Evans added.

Although there was no competition, the ladies had more time to perfect every aspect.

“it felt so crushing because I was very devastated, I was very sad, but it was kind of a blessing in disguise, I don't think I would have been as prepared as I truly was now if I hadn't been given that extra time to like grow and develop,” Miss Yuma County Teen said.

Evans, who admits she didn’t grow up with dresses, says she relies heavily on the support from her director, who thinks she can take home the Miss Arizona title.

“For me like my director was a huge part of that because I had always said that she believed in my dream to be Miss Arizona, even before I did. So that is kind of my role being a titleholder is just encouraging other girls that whatever it is they want to do, doesn't matter what you come from, you can do it,” Miss Yuma explained.

Each local competition participant works on behalf of a personally selected social impact community service. 

Miss Yuma County and Miss Yuma County Teen have partnered with organizations like Relay For Life, The Agape Project which advocates for sex trafficking victims, and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

“The big thing I like to do is work with girl scout troops to get that help them get involved as well as partnering with some of our local schools so that they help donate luminaries, to our luminaria drive-in event because we weren't allowed to have an actual physical Relay For Life like we normally do,” Evans said.

“I actually spent the year doing a lot of education in the community and teaching the Yuma community members about what [sex] trafficking looks like but my message through all of that had always kind of been that you can create the life you want, regardless of what you come from,” Heinz added.

GABRIELLA HEINZ | MISS YUMA COUNTY

ELLIE EVANS | MISS YUMA COUNTY TEEN

You can stream the competition here starting on June 17th at 7:30 P.M.

News 11, CBS 13, and KYMA.com will be at the competition on Friday and Saturday. Join 13 On Your Side's Cody Lee for exclusive coverage of our hometown contestants and how the organization looks to inspire future young women.