CHRISTMAS CAME EARLY this year for Julia Furtado, Miss Maine 2011. Several area businesses and individuals played Santa in helping her prepare for the Miss America Pageant to be aired on Jan. 14 on national television. Tiffany Dumas, of The Tiffany Studio in Brunswick, donated Miss Maine’s official photos to be used in the 2012 Miss America program book. Rebecca Beck, Miss Maine 1982 and owner of Studio 48, supervised the pageant process and solicited the expertise of Taylor Gregory of Brunswick for hair and makeup. Gregory will also travel to Las Vegas in January to assist Furtado with her hair and makeup for the preliminary competitions. Noreen Lyons, owner of Trisha’s Gown and Dress Boutique in Topsham, provided a competition gown and cocktail dress. “I am so excited to have so many people in the Brunswick area who are so excited about my journey to Miss America and willing to give so freely of their resources of time, talent and goods to make my journey thoroughly special,” Furtado said. She is a sophomore majoring in applied exercise science at the University of New England, and she received an $8,000 scholarship for winning Miss Maine and will receive a minimum $3,000 scholarship for participation in the Miss America Pageant. In the photo, Gregory and Beck help Furtado with her hair and makeup.