A contingent of about 20 Vicksburg residents is in Atlantic City this weekend, cheering on Miss Mississippi Laura Lee Lewis as she competes in the Miss America pageant.

Many more Vicksburg residents will be glued to their televisions watching the pageant, which will be shown Sunday at 8 p.m. on ABC.

The fact that Laura Lee isn’t from Vicksburg makes no difference at all to our community. If she’s Miss Mississippi, she’s ours.

So many in our city and county give untold hours of their time and talent to make certain that each year’s Miss Mississippi pageant is more exciting and more entertaining than the one before it.

The amount of work and number of people required to make it the success that it is each year is staggering. Also staggering is the precision and organization with which the Miss Mississippi pageant is operated each year.

It is not the amazing success it is by accident.

It’s no wonder that so many from Vicksburg who have invested so much in the state pageant each year make the trip to Atlantic City to see Miss Mississippi compete.

Last year’s Miss Mississippi, Hannah Roberts, earned first runner up in the Miss America pageant. All eyes now are on Laura Lee.

“We’ve watched her grow up from the teen pageant, so we’re excited for her,” said Mary Beth Grogan White, who is assistant hostess chairman.

Laura Lee, who grew up in Brookhaven, was Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen in 2009. She was second runner up to Miss Mississippi in 2013, first runner-up in 2014 and second runner-up again in 2015.

In 2016, she hit the jackpot and was crowned Miss Mississippi.

After her win in Vicksburg in June, she said, “We’re going to Atlantic City and bring home the Miss America crown. It is time to bring it home; back to where it belongs, so it is my mission to not only represent Mississippi well at Miss America, but to make an impact on our nation by telling people they’re valued and loved in a time when we really need it most.”

We’re hoping at the end of Sunday night, Miss Mississippi Laura Lee Lewis will be wearing a new, national crown.

Vicksburg’s cheering for you, Laura Lee.