RENO, Nev. — A crown set to be awarded to the winner of the Miss Nevada pageant Saturday was stolen from Circus Circus in Reno, the pageant's executive director said in a news release Thursday.

“Please, if anyone knows anything about the stolen crown, please call us. The crown has very little mone tary value, but represents all the hard work that contes tants and volunteers have committed to this dynamic program,” said Executive Director Teresa Benitez Thompson, herself a former Miss Nevada. “We do not (want) this isolated incident to reflect upon Circus Circus. They have been more than wonderful to us.”

Benitez-Thompson said without the crown they will be unable to award this year's winner of the preliminary pageant for Miss America.

The crown disappeared from a hotel room at the Virginia Street casino about 11 a.m.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Benitez Thompson at missnevada@hotmail.com The Miss Nevada pageant is at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts in Reno.