Miss America refers to both "The Miss America Organization" (MAO) and "The Miss America Foundation" (MAF). The MAO "is a 501(c)4 non-profit organization that controls and oversees the local, state, and national competition framework and hosts the annual Miss America Competition and telecast" while the MAF is "a separate 501(c)3 non-profit organization that serves as the scholarship arm that processes scholarships for recipients across the country." The competition is a scholarship pageant that is held annually and is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 24. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews in addition to their physical appearance. Miss America travels about 20,000 miles a