Please accept this letter as a public apology from the Vidalia Women’s Club. This apology is just a small part of trying to correct a gross error in judgment. This apology is directed to the contestants and their families, the pages and their families, contestant sponsors from the women’s club, corporate sponsors, including the City of Vidalia, the judges and to the public who supported the 2014 Miss Vidalia pageant.

The results of the scoring were analyzed due to an unauthorized addition to categories used for judging. Following the analysis, the top five contestants were determined to remain the same. However, the order of the top five contestants changed.

The official Miss Vidalia 2014 is Whestley Shirley.

First runner-up is Miss. Cheyenne Cavazos.

Second runner-up is Miss. Rachel Buford.

Third runner-up is Miss. Haley Wilson.

Fourth runner-up is Miss. Carli Ricks.

Congratulations to each of you.

We as a club offer our sincerest apologies. There is no way to repair the hurt and wrong that was done to these girls nor can they recapture their excitement of the night. We, as a club, can only step up and take action to acknowledge the proper placements of the top five contestants.

There will be an official reception to present Whestley Shirley with the title of Miss Vidalia 2014 and formally present her to community. We also want to honor the other contestants.

Please understand that this was through no fault of any of the contestants or their family members.

We as a club are embarrassed and hope the community can forgive us and continue to support us in the future.

With our sincerest heartfelt apologies.

Alison Cupit

Vidalia Women’s Club