Miss Mississippi contestant pursues crown, champions causes
MADISON — For Gracie Bassett, competing in the Miss Mississippi Pageant is a way to champion causes that are deeply personal, from supporting heart health to providing wigs for cancer patients.
As a contestant, Bassett is required to raise money for charitable causes, including the American Heart Association and the Miss America Scholarship fund. The causes are especially meaningful to her, as she has a family member in need of a heart transplant and hopes to benefit from the scholarship program herself.
"This kills two very big birds with one one stone," Bassett said of her fundraising efforts.
Bassett said she quickly surpassed the $300 minimum requirement, and her online fundraiser has now raised more than $1,500.
Her commitment to service began long before her pageant career. Since she was 3 years old, Bassett has donated her hair to make wigs for women who have lost their hair during cancer treatment.
In 2021, she founded her own initiative, Hair for Her, after a service she previously used closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"For some patients, hair loss is particularly traumatic," Bassett said. "A wig can be a great way to instill some confidence and restore a sense of control."
Bassett, a recent graduate of Mississippi College with plans for medical school, said she was inspired as a young girl by Sarah-Beth James, Miss Mississippi 2010, also from Madison.
"I looked up to her," Bassett said. "Talking to James made me feel like somebody. I wanted to be like Sarah Beth."
As she competes in Vicksburg this week, Bassett keeps that inspiration in mind.
"I know I could be like Sarah Beth to the young girls watching, and that is special," she said.
Bassett has been in Vicksburg since last Saturday, preparing for the competition. In the 2024 Miss Mississippi pageant, she won the talent portion with a piano performance of “Mephisto Waltz No. 1” by Franz Liszt and finished in the Top 10.
She is the daughter of William and Barbie Bassett of Madison.