Six compete for Miss Big, Bold, and Fabulous
As the spirit of nationalism builds up in this five month, some organizations are stepping up the plate spreading goodwill and generosity. A group of special ladies have joined the fray and have come together to help in their own unique way. They will take the stage at Bird’s Isle and strut their stuff on Friday night to help raise monies for Hattieville Masqueraders, which is a new rural group that has had its share of struggles to meet expenses. News Five caught up this evening with three of the contestants and the organiser of the Ms Big, Bold and Fabulous Pageant.
Shawanie Stanford, Organiser, Ms Big, Bold & Fabulous
“When I was younger I wanted to be a model and as I got older I got bigger and I said well you know I can model because I big. When I was working with M&M Engineering they made me model a few pieces of clothes for them at the Princess and I though if I could do this, we have other people that could do it also and who wouldn’t mind, who have confidence in themselves to go up there in front of a crowd of people and do the same thing that I did.”
Marion Ali
“But the real reason is to help the underprivileged bands who want to take part?”
Shawanie Stanford
“Yeah, I was in carnival about fourteen years before I stopped dancing and I know it’s very hard to come up with the money to get the costumes and materials and stuff because sometimes we have to go outside of the country and stuff to get he materials and some of the kids, they don’t have the fifty dollars or seventy-five dollars to pay. So we do fundraising and sometimes that’s not enough so we came up with the idea of this pageant so we could fundraise to give to the carnival bands that won’t have it.”
Marion Ali
“But you have selected one particular one for this year. How did you come up with that selection.”
Shawanie Stanford
“We get all the carnival bands and we take a look at them and see how their fundraisings are going. If we see them much on the media or whatever and Hattieville, the band owner didn’t have much sponsorship and stuff so we decided to help her.”
Tracey Terry, Contestant, Ms Big, Bold & Fabulous
“We’re all for carnival cause it’s part of the tenth celebrations so that’s why I decided to join the pageant.”
Marion Ali
“Not for personal gains?”
Tracey Terry
“No personal gain.”
Marion Ali
“At the end of the day it’s still a competition so there will be a Miss Big and Fabulous at the end of the day. So you intend to capture that title?”
Tracey Terry
“Well, I just want to say we’re all winners I guess.”
Amika Betran, Contestant, Ms Big, Bold & Fabulous
“Nobody noh help them so the contestants, the owner of the pageant just brought up the idea to come up and help other people and other carnival group every year.”
Satisha Arnold, Contestant, Ms Big, Bold & Fabulous
“I think I sexy, pretty and I want dat di slim body gial dehn know dat dah noh only dehn could have pageant and deh inna weh yoh call it. And I feel dat I wah win.”
Marion Ali
“So you also have a personal message weh you want send?”
Satisha Arnold
“Well, I noh inna carnival—I inna carnival but noh fi Belize and I just think that big woman could do anything and I think I could do it so that’s why. I know I could do it. I could anything weh wah small woman could do, anything.”
The ladies hope to raise around ten thousand dollars to help the Hattieville Masqueraders. The pageant will start at seven on Friday night at the Bird’s Isle in Belize City. Tickets are on sale from any contestant or at Tambran’s Music.
