Miss Belize delegates set to take stage on Saturday
If you like pageants, September is a good month to be in Belize. Last weekend, Ronnie Coye was crowned the Queen of the Bay and later this month, Miss Belize will be selected. This afternoon News Five’s Jacqueline Godwin found the delegates preparing for their official debut to the Belizean public.
Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
Preparations are well underway for the first competitive event in this year’s Miss Belize Pageant. The fashion and swimsuit show takes place tomorrow night at the Princess Hotel, where the ten contestants have taken up residence until the final show on Saturday, September fifteenth.
Because of hurricanes Dean and Felix and the citywide flooding, the young ladies have been working overtime to be ready.
Margaret Johnson, Pageant Coordinator
“So we are doubling up on every single thing right now and the girls they rehearsed last night until late. Today we’ve started breakfast and then straight into it. So we’re looking at next week, more of a time when they can actually go and enjoy more of the pageant, in terms of the sightseeing.”
“The show we’re putting together has to be ready. We’ve already set a level of expectation last year and the fans loved it. So they are expecting us to come back with something even more feisty so we are prepared. People are going to be expecting girls coming out in swimsuits with certain pieces and we’ve changed it up a little bit, still swimsuits. And this year actually, we’ll get two versions of swimsuits in the competition itself. One will be of fashion and one will be where they compete for the actual swimsuit competition.”
As for the contestants, they are all aware that only one of them can represent the country in the Miss Universe Pageant but the women say they’ve been bonding instead of fighting.
Lorriean Samuels, 19 years old
“You would think that being that you’re in a competitive situation that everybody would think only about themselves, but everyone reserves in their own area and everybody bonds and if anybody needs any help, we’re always there for each other.”
Iris Jessie Medina, 24 years old
“Very good, all of us are friends, we help each other. If somebody doesn’t get the step, somebody will hurry go and try to help each other.”
Jennine Thompson – 20 years old
“Well I love a competition, and I love pageants. I believe that it’s a very good way for Belize to show-off its beautiful and intelligent women. I mean, look around. Multicultural, we have Spanish, we have Creole, a complete mixture, and it’s a very good way to show-off our Belizean women.”
Keisha Daniels, 21 years old
“It’s fun, all of the girls are getting along and helping each other.”
Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
“How strict is the preparation?”
Tanisha Vernon – 20 years old
“Well it’s not too strict, they allow us to have some fun, but at the same time we need to follow what the trainer of the director is doing and we respect that of her.”
Melanie Lammey – 19 years old
“Yes, it’s a lot of work and you have to mentally for this, because it’s a challenge and you have to go up there and show yourself to everyone. So you have to be mentally prepared for that along with physically prepared and spiritually prepared.”
Flareda Belizaire – 20 years old
“Well I think it is going to be a great experience for me because I always wanted to participate in a pageant. So I think this is the time, now is the time.”
Sherylee Rodriquez, 18 years old
“Alot of team work, but I will try my best.”
According to pageant coordinator Margaret Johnson, the ten contestants were chosen from among a total of forty nine entries.
Margaret Johnson, Pageant Coordinator
“Of the forty nine, not everybody qualifies, for one reason or the other. Some might be seventeen and going to be eighteen, but not eighteen by February first of 2008. Which means that if she were the winner, she would not be able to go to Miss Universe and represent us. So I have to look into age and whether or not they qualify in terms of school wise. They can be in high school, as long as they are eighteen. So there are various little aspects of competition that I have to look at before I can actually accept them because I want them to be able to qualify to participate should they win. I don’t want to send a runner-up when the winner could have been the person that actually should go.”
The two young ladies missing from today’s practise were Samantha Howard and Shanna Pott. Reporting for News Five, I am Jacqueline Godwin.
Tickets to the swimsuit competition are ten dollars advance and twenty at the door.
