Miss California Sweetheart

Founded in 1941 the National Sweetheart Pageant is based in Hoopeston, Illinois and seeks to provide a national level training and life experience for young women.  Each year the event is held over Labor Day Weekend in conjunction with Hoopeston's revered annual Sweetcorn Festival.  In 2022, the National Sweetheart Pageant partnered with the Miss Volunteer America Organization to send a runner-up contestant from their respective state pageants. Beginning in 2023, the title of Miss California Sweetheart and the opportunity to compete at the National Sweetheart Pageant will be awarded to the first runner-up to Miss California Volunteer each year.

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California has won the National Sweetheart Pageant three times, first in 2013 by Jordan Krinke, second in 2019 with Jane Kennedy, and most recently our 2023 California Sweetheart, Jireh Gerry!