Miss Virginia Volunteer 2025 emphasizes the importance of charity involvement

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- 8News was joined by royalty Wednesday morning with this year's Miss Virginia Volunteer, a competition impacting young women across the United States to get involved in their communities.

8News anchor Delaney Hall and StormTracker8 meteorologist Jacqueline Waters were joined by Miss Virginia Volunteer 2025, Haleigh Ryan Hurst, on Wednesday, June 11, to discuss the organization, which is a service-based scholarship organization that allows young women to earn scholarships and be involved in the community.

Hurst said she won over $34,000 in scholarships and at the national Pageant, they hand out over $100,000 in scholarships.

"It's really giving young women the opportunity to pursue and debt-free education, [while] also serving the community through our two national charities -- St. Jude and The Salvation Army," Hurst said.

Hurst began competing 13 years ago, but is new to the Miss Volunteer American organization.

"I'm just hoping to make Virginia proud," Hurst said. "I've been able to serve so much and I lead a national campaign with Salvation Army called The Angel Training Expressway, where I patrtnerned Amtrak and the Salvation Army for seven days on the train, and it was something really resonated with me, as well as St. Jude's and doing fundraising for them."

She said that while most people's goal is to win the national competition, there is also so much more to it.

"I'm just hoping to amplify their messages, with my own personal serve initiate, and see where the pageant takes me," she added.