Kinley Dean Jackson, of Chase City, the 6-year-old daughter of Longwood University student Kelsey McClustser, is currently reigning as Tiny Miss Charlotte County and Tiny Miss Chesterfield County Fair. Kinley will now compete for the title of Tiny Miss Eastern America in Roanoke in November.

According to her mother, Kinley will compete in the gown, school wear, swimsuit, photogenic, winter wear, runway modeling, cover miss and talent categories. Her platform will be “TEAM CARSON,” in honor of Carson McCall, from Red Oak, who was recently diagnosed with Krabbe Disease.

“They are fun, and you meet a lot of new friends,” said Kinley, adding she loves doing pageants.

According to McCluster, Kinley only competes in natural, semi-glitz pageants and is not a “Tots and Tiaras” kind of princess.

“She is extremely excited about her upcoming competition, but needs the help of her community and business owners,” McCluster said.

She said Kinley was touched by Carson’s story and feels a need to use her pageantry talent to raise awareness of leukodystrophy and raise money for him and his family. Although there is no cure, Kinley’s family said, Carson is going through treatments at Duke Medical University to slow down the disease.

As part of the national pageantry system, Kinley is required to sell advertisements for a program book, which will be seen by thousands of people who attend the pageant. The ads are good luck messages to the contestant with pictures of the child who is competing.

Kinley has decided to change things up and introduce her platform “Krabbe Disease; TEAM CARSON” through her pictures and advertisements. This will not only be the first time in this pageant system someone so young has chosen a platform, but the first time a platform will be introduced through photography.

Kinleys advertisements and photos will feature her and facts about Krabbe Disease to raise awareness. The ads will be sold through Oct. 21 and are $25 for a quarter-page, $50 for a half-page, and $100 for a full page. The money for the advertisements will go into a scholarship fund for the contestants. Kinley has an anonymous donor in the community who will be donating $10 per ad sold (up to 50 ads) to the McCall family. Also, if Kinley sells the most ad pages out of all the contestants she will receive a cash prize (amount determined by how many ad pages she sells) and will be giving the money to Carson’s family. Kinley’s personal goal is 20 ad pages.

Anyone interested in buying an advertisement to help raise awareness of Krabbe Disease and help the McCall family can contact Kinley’s mother at kelsey.mccluster@live.longwood.edu.