McCollum died in February after being critically injured in a Salem County accident.
OCEAN CITY -- It was June 15, 2013 that Cara McCollum was crowned Miss New Jersey at the Ocean City Music Pier.
On Saturday, her friends and family will return to the Jersey Shore town to remember the remarkable life of the late McCollum at a memorial service.
"We want to honor this young woman for all her service and for the person she was," said Mary Lou Cake, vice president and business manager for the Miss New Jersey Education Foundation, the group organizing the event.
The service begins at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Ocean City Tabernacle, 530 Wesley Ave.
McCollum, who held the title of Miss New Jersey 2013 and then went on to a career in broadcasting, died in February, one week after being critically injured in a Salem County accident.
Her funeral was held in her hometown of Forrest City, Arkansas, on Feb. 28.
This weekend's service in Ocean City will give a chance for those in McCollum's adopted home state to have a chance to remember her.
"We just felt there were so many people here that couldn't go to Arkansas that we felt we should do something here," Cake said.
Pageant representatives along with McCollum's fiance, Philadelphia television station NBC10's Keith Jones, are expected to speak.
I want to express my sincerest thanks for all the love, support, and prayers our families have received over the last...
Posted by Keith Jones on Monday, February 29, 2016
Cake handled all the bookings for McCollum during her reign as Miss New Jersey.
What impressed her was McCollum's "genuine concern for people" and her dedication to promoting literacy.
"She had a tremendous passion for what she believed in," Cake said.
During her reign McCollum worked throughout the state at libraries and schools promoting reading among young children. She even recorded audio books.
McCollum was popular and made many appearances.
"She was just about willing to try anything," Cake recalled this week.
One appearance as Miss New Jersey even took McCollum out to sea.
"I said 'what do you think about on a charity fishing expedition?'" Cake recalled.
"She said, 'I'm from Arkansas and I know how to fish and bait my own hook.'"
McCollum, 24, was critically injured in a crash on icy Route 55 in Pittsgrove Township on the night of Feb. 15. She was headed northbound when her Mustang ran off the right side of the road and struck several trees.
Police said McCollum, who was traveling alone at the time of the accident, was not wearing her seat belt.
She died one week later in Cooper University Hospital, Camden.
Born and raised in Forrest City in eastern Arkansas, McCollum, graduated as the high school valedictorian there.
She then headed east, enrolling at Princeton University. Majoring in English, she graduated there in June 2015.
It was during her time at Princeton that McCollum that she was crowned Miss New Jersey 2013 and represented the Garden State in the 2014 Miss America Pageant.
Last year McCollum began work at Millville-based SNJ Today. She was the lead anchorwoman, but also worked out in the field reporting.
"She could brighten up your day with her smile," Cake said.
The service is open to the public.
Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow South Jersey Times on Twitter @TheSJTimes. Find NJ.com on Facebook.