[SMITHFIELD, VA] August 15, 2026 — For Miss America 2026 Cassie Donegan, coming home to Smithfield, Virginia, is always meaningful. As she travels the country representing Miss America, Cassie recently returned to the community that helped shape her, spending time with children, patients, educators, families and neighbors throughout her hometown.
Her visit was a celebration of the people and places that have played a role in her journey, and an opportunity to give back to the community she is proud to call home.
Cassie began her hometown visit at Hunt Club Farms, a 50-acre farm dedicated to farm education and promoting the importance of literacy while instilling a love of learning in children. Surrounded by the animals and natural beauty of the farm, Cassie spent time with local children, reading a story, getting creative with crafts and learning about the many animals who call Hunt Club Farms home.
Cassie also returned to Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, a place that holds an especially personal connection for the Miss America 2026. Cassie was once a patient at the hospital herself, making her return particularly meaningful. During her visit, she joined patients and staff at the hospital’s main campus for a special round of bingo before going room to room to personally deliver prizes to the winners. Along the way, she spent time visiting with patients, families and hospital staff, bringing encouragement and a little joy to children and families navigating their own hospital experiences. Returning to CHKD not as a patient, but as Miss America, offered Cassie a full-circle moment and the opportunity to give back to a place that was once an important part of her own childhood.
Her hometown visit also gave Cassie the chance to share her love of performance and storytelling as an arts educator with the next generation. Through a free “Exploring Character” workshop, Cassie brought storytelling to life for elementary and middle school students, teaching them how much they can communicate without saying a word. Using movement, facial expressions, music and emotion, students explored how to build characters and tell meaningful stories from head to toe. The interactive experience encouraged students to embrace creativity, expression and confidence while discovering new ways to connect with an audience.
Cassie concluded her time in Smithfield by joining her hometown community downtown for concert night, a patriotic evening of music celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. Surrounded by friends, family and fellow Smithfield residents, she celebrated the country she now has the honor of representing on a national stage.
From reading with children on the farm, to returning to a hospital where she was once a patient, to inspiring young performers and celebrating her role as Miss America during the Semiquincentennial with her hometown community, Cassie’s visit to Smithfield was a meaningful reminder of the people and experiences that helped shape her into the woman she is today. She may be representing America from coast to coast, but her heart will always have a home in Smithfield.
###
About Miss America’s Scholarship Foundation Inc. (MASF):
Miss America is the nation’s leading empowerment and service platform for young women, supporting their personal and professional growth while inspiring them to serve as positive role models in their communities. Since 1921, Miss America has been dedicated to its mission of
“Empowering Women to Lead,” engaging thousands of young women nationwide, ages 14-28, as local and state brand ambassadors committed to community service.
Through the Miss America’s Scholarship Foundation Inc., a 501(c)(3), the program awards the largest amount of scholarships to women in America.