97th Miss California contest underway in Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The 97th annual Miss California contest is underway in Fresno.

After taking a year off due to the pandemic, the city is excited to host the event.

Fresno's mayor and police chief were on hand to help make the announcement on Tuesday, along with pageant officials.

They were also joined by the most recent Miss California, Eileen Kim, former Miss Culver City.

The public is invited to watch as 31 contestants take part in events through Friday at the DoubleTree Hotel.

The Miss California competition is the official preliminary to Miss America.

Contest officials say this year's theme is COVID-19 vaccinations and will offer clinics where the community can get vaccinated.

"We support vaccination," says Miss California CEO Russ Glenn. "We are delighted to sponsor the mobile vaccination unit."

The Miss California competition provides the largest number of scholarships for women in the State of California.

This year, a total of $100,000 in scholarships will be awarded to contestants.