Natchez has a treat in store on Saturday. Mary Margaret Roark will join a team of hostesses at Magnolia Hall to greet guests.

Miss Roark was crowned Miss Mississippi in July 2011. She is the daughter of Fred and Mary Jo Roark and is a native of Cleveland.

She graduated from Bayou Academy in 2009. Prior to winning the Miss Mississippi title, Mary Margaret attended Mississippi State University majoring in communications.

She would like to pursue a career in the broadcast industry.

Mary Margaret developed her own platform to promote for the Miss Mississippi Pageant.

She had a very personal experience watching her grandmother progress through Alzheimer’s Disease. Due to that experience, she is a proud advocate for the Mississippi Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and has created her own campaign to promote Alzheimer’s awareness throughout the state called JEWELS for Alzheimer’s.

J.E.W.E.L.S. is an acronym which stands for:

Join the cause to

Educate the public and

Work for a cure while

Encouraging those who

Live with the disease and

Supporting those who care for them.

Mary Margaret stated that JEWELS For Alzheimer’s encapsulates everything that she hopes for with regards to Alzheimer’s Disease.

With her campaign, she has helped promote awareness among communities in the state, recruited activists, and helped raise funds for research and care centers.

Additionally, she has started a jewelry collection, JEWELS For Alzheimer’s with the help of jewelry designer, Alex Bowen.

A portion of all sales from the jewelry is donated to local Alzheimer’s Association chapters to help with their expenses.

Mary Margaret says that her experience with Alzheimer’s began with her grandmother, but with the help of others, her mission can continue to grow until a cure is found.

Please join us in welcoming Mary Margaret Roark to Natchez on Saturday.

Magnolia Hall is on the orange tour of Natchez Fall Pilgrimage and is open from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.

Tickets can be bought at Natchez Pilgrimage Tours or can be purchased at the door of Magnolia Hall.

Jo Ann Herrington is the president of the Natchez Garden Club.