The first most beautiful Bulgarian woman in America pageant, entitled "Miss Bulgarka 2012", was held over the weekend in Chicago, hopefully setting the beginning of a long tradition.

The winner – Rossitsa Stefanova - was crowned with a tiara made in Dubai by local jewelers, studded with Swarovski crystals. She also received a check worth USD 5.000.

Tina Telalyan and Martina Slavcheva became runners-up after a selection among 16 finalists, who traveled to Chicago from across the US.

The tiara for the winner was provided with the help of star Bulgarian actress, Anya Pencheva, who was a member of the jury. Other Bulgarian beauties, including Laura Chukanov, who claimed fourth position in the Miss USA 2009 pageant, were also guests of the event.

The news was reported by EuroChicago.com, the free portal in Bulgarian, ranked number one in America by Google and Yahoo, while the initiative belongs to the Bulgarian Women Club in New York.

Organizers of the contest say the goal is to bring Bulgarian community together, to prove its strong presence in America and to support Bulgarian culture and beauty. The Miss Bulgarka 2012 will provide personal and professional opportunities for young women to promote their voices in the Bulgarian community.

To be eligible for Miss Bulgarka 2012, contestants were obliged to represent their community or have an active part within Bulgarian Community in the state or town they live in, be between the ages of 21 and 35, be a Bulgarian citizen or having Bulgarian heritage, and have a permanent address in America.

The "Miss Bulgarka 2012" pageant and the after party were held in the Bulgarian-owned Enigma night club in Chicago.

An estimated 100 000 Bulgarians live in Chicago, which makes it the city with the largest Bulgarian population outside Bulgaria.