Lexington’s own Gracie Bowers wins Miss Teen All-Star United States title
Lexington, SC (Ireland Kost) - Whether she’s giving away flowers to the elderly or acting in a movie, Miss Gracie Bowers is devoted to serving her community and country. Often, she does this with just her inner beauty; the shining beauty that helped her obtain the crown of Miss Teen All-Star United States.
Bowers, who is an incoming freshman at Lexington High School, first won the title Miss Teen before going on to compete for the national title last week. Girls from all over the United States headed to Savannah, Georgia to vie for the highest honors in this pageant series. The Miss All-Star United States actively seeks to support patriotism, empower women, assist veterans and soldiers, and aid the American Cancer Society.
When asked about her reaction to winning the national title, Gracie responded, “I was really shocked, and I was really surprised and excited.”
Though pageants are important to Bowers, the hard work behind her success is rooted in something timeless. After winning the Miss Teen South Carolina title, Bowers was thrilled with the opportunity to give back to her community. “I met my sister queens before the pageant even started, and they were so sweet,” she commented. “After I won, they kept doing service projects with me.”
Bowers doesn’t hold back when it comes to giving of herself. Being a part of the Miss All-Star United States pageants helped her realize how needy others were. “It’s really opened my eyes to helping in the community, and in helping women of course. That’s why I created my K.I.D.S. group.” K.I.D.S. is an acronym for Kind Individuals Doing Service. This group is on a mission to get young people involved in helping the community. Bowers leads the children in monthly community service projects. “I feel like if you start community service at a young age, you’ll continue to do it when you're older,” she said.
At fourteen, Gracie Bowers is already becoming a leading member of the community. In addition to all this, Bowers assists Shoes4Water in Greenville. To date, that project has collected over 20,000 pairs of shoes that are resold to finance the drilling of cleanwater wells in Africa. Locally, she’s worked with the Nancy K. Perry Children’s Shelter, a shelter that provides for neglected, abused or abandoned children. There she helps with gathering supplies and cooking. She’ll be leading a walk for autism next month and starred in the 2017 movie Faith’s Song. Finally, Bowers also serves on a committee in the Town of Lexington that’s devoted to the revitalization of Virginia Hylton Park; Bowers is their teen representative. She offered advice to the town on ways to attract kids and youth to the park.
To keep up with Gracie Bowers and to learn how you can impact South Carolina through partnering with her in community service, like her on Facebook.
