Rhode Island contestant wins Miss America service award

LAS VEGAS --Rhode Island's Allison Rogers won the Miss America Pageant's Quality of Life community service award Saturday for her work promoting awareness about the effects of global warming.

Rogers, 25, helped found a program at Harvard University to educate her neighbors about recycling, energy conservation and being environmentally friendly. She also started a program to refurbish computers that would normally be recycled.

Miss Arizona Hilary Griffith, 21, was the runner-up for her work promoting rape awareness and recovery. Miss Alabama Melinda Toole, 23, an advocate for character education, was the second runner-up.

The Quality of Life Award is given to the contestant who shows she has improved others' living conditions through service. Most of the 52 women competing for the crown this week in Las Vegas applied for the award.

The new Miss America will be crowned Monday at the Aladdin Resort & Casino. The pageant will be televised by cable network Country Music Television starting at 8 p.m. EST.

Rogers, of Providence, R.I., focused on environmental education during here studies at Harvard. Her service work won her a $3,000 scholarship from the Miss America Organization.

Griffith, a journalism student at Arizona State University, won a $2,000 scholarship. The Glendale, Ariz., resident began focusing on rape awareness after she was sexually assaulted her sophomore year in college. She speaks to students, women's groups, community organizations and prisons on the subject.

Toole, of Birmingham, Ala., won a $1,000 award toward her education. She has worked with character development organizations to help students at several schools.

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On the Net: Miss America: http://www.missamerica.org/