The Department of Economic and Community Development is authorized to cooperate with Mississippi Miss Hospitality, Inc., in the production of the Mississippi Miss Hospitality Pageant and with Miss Mississippi Pageant, Inc., in the production of the Miss Mississippi Pageant, and with Mrs. Mississippi-America Pageant, Inc., in the production of the Mrs. Mississippi Pageant, and in defraying expenses incurred by Miss Hospitality and Miss Mississippi and Mrs. Mississippi when making official appearances to represent this state, by expending in furtherance of such purposes any money appropriated or otherwise made available to the department therefor. Money received by the department for such purposes shall be deposited into a special fund which is hereby created in the State Treasury. Unexpended amounts remaining in such special fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest earned on amounts in such special fund shall be deposited to the credit of the special fund.