Peighton White, resplendent in a fitting black gown, captured the crown of 2022 Miss Georgia Sweet Onion on the evening of Saturday, April 16.
White competed among ten contestants ages 16 to 22 years of age.
She is the 18-year-old daughter of David and Shawnda White of Glennville. The pageant was held in the Glennville City Auditorium under the direction of Anita Dasher and Jennifer Bland. Camy Bland, 2021 Miss Georgia Sweet Onion, crowned her successor. The pageant is one of the many sanctioned events of the Glennville Sweet Onion Festival Committee.
The Grand Sponsor for the pageant was Armstrong's Cricket Farm.
White is a senior at Pinewood Christian Academy (PCA), and her plans are to attend Georgia Southern University to obtain her bachelor's degree in chemistry and then transfer to the Dental College of Georgia at August University. Her goal is to become a dentist.
She has been active in high school as a member of the PCA one-act play team, National Honor Society, Beta Club, Interact Club, Tattnall Chamber Junior Board, and a class representative, serving as president of her freshman and sophomore classes. White has 15 years of training in tap, jazz, ballet, and lyrical dance, and also is an assistant dance teacher. In addition, she models for Wiregrass Designs. Her sponsors in the pageant were her brothers, Brinson and Landynn.
"Having lived in Glennville my entire life, I fully understand the importance of the sweet onion industry in my community and its economy. I can't think of anything that I could be more passionate about than promoting the sweet onion farmers, crop, and community. I look forward to the next year of representing the sweet onion crop and promoting it wherever I go," White said.
Jenna Floyd claimed the first runner-up honors. She is the 18-year-old daughter of John and Deana Floyd of Claxton. She is a senior at Claxton High School, and she has plans to attend the University of North Georgia after graduation and major in Secondary Education. She was sponsored by Royal Refrigeration.
Jena Hales, 16 and a sophomore at PCA, was named as second runner-up. She plans to attend the University of Georgia after graduation and major in Pharmacy. Jena's parents are Jay and Melissa Hales of Glennville. Her sponsor was South Georgia Bank.
The Miss Congeniality award is one of the highest honors a contestant can receive, since it is voted on by the contestants. Victoria "Tori" Blocker was selected for this award. Blocker had a life-altering vehicle accident in her junior year of high school, and she rebounded with determination to complete high school and now plans to attend Roosevelt Warm Springs Adult Vocational Rehab. Tori is the daughter of Adrian and Terri Blocker of Glennville. She was sponsored by Blocker Construction and Bear's Country Store.
Mary-Chandler Long, the 16-year-old daughter of Meg DeLoach of Glennville and Garth Long, was named as Miss Photogenic. She was sponsored by her grandparents, Charles and Pat Chandler.
The contestants' first appearance was in stunning party wear, followed by their elegant evening gowns.
Entertainment for the evening included several upbeat selections by talented vocalist Jana Reaves and a fast-paced dance number by Camy Bland.
Mistress of Ceremonies was Jincy Curl Wallace, former Miss Georgia Sweet Onion Queen in 2009.
Earlier in the day, the contestants were interviewed for five minutes each by the three judges.
Other contestants in the pageant in addition to the ones mentioned above were Mary Lucy Dasher and Marley Thompson, who were in the top five, and Liliana Mercer, Allie Ray, and Autumn McCormick.
The gifts and awards are as follows: Queen-$400 from the Sweet Onion Committee; $100 each from Glennville Bank, South Georgia Bank, Glennville Rotary Club, Charlton Rogers, Waters Mechanical, Fries Farm, Canoochee EMC, and 2009 Miss Georgia Sweet Onion Jincy Curl Wallace; $100 gift certificate from The Farmhouse Restaurant; $75 from C.A. Sittle, Inc.; $50 each from Terrell's Heating & Air and from Dr. Troy Rahn; $50 gift certificate from Jincy's Southern Exchange; $25 gift certificates each from Glennville Dairy Queen (DQ), Southern Twist Boutique, McCurdy's on Main, Vault 206, and Rusty Pig Restaurant; three months of fitness classes at Studio South-Glennville Fitness; one month training with Nate at Glennville Anytime Fitness; and one haircut from Cheveux.
First runner-up awards include: $200 from the Sweet Onion Committee; $100 each from Rotary Corporation, Southern Medical Group, Bradley B. and Ashlea Anderson, and Brannen-Kennedy Funeral Home; $100 gift certificate from Strickland's Pharmacy; $75 from Kicklighter Realty; $50 from Law Office of Hugh J. McCullough; $50 from Tattnall Insurance; $35 gift certificate from High Maintenance Salon; $25 gift certificates from Rusty Pig, Southern Twist Boutique, and Free to Roam Boutique; one month training with Nate of Glennville Anytime Fitness; and an ice cream cake from Glennville DQ.
Second runner-up awards include: $100 from the Sweet Onion Committee, The Claxton Bank, G&R Farms, Bland Farms, Claxton Fruitcake, and Glennville Rotary Club; $25 from King's Pump and Technical Services of Glennville; $25 gift certificates from Rusty Pig, Shear Thairapy of Claxton, Glennville Marco's Pizza, Southern Twist Boutique, and Bloom Boutique; and one Blizzard from Glennville DQ.
Miss Congeniality awards include $25 from Kicklighter Realty, Inc.; $25 gift certificates from Southern Twist Boutique and Rusty Pig; and one Blizzard from Glennville DQ.
Miss Photogenic awards include $25 gift certificates each from Southern Twist Boutique and Rusty Pig, and one Blizzard from Glennville DQ.
White will be featured in the Saturday, May 14, 2022, Glennville Sweet Onion Parade on the City of Glennville float.
