The sixth annual Miss Beautiful Pageant, a pageant for local girls and women age 5 and older who have disabilities, featured 24 participants in its new venue, East Brainerd Church of Christ, on July 21.
While modeled after a traditional beauty pageant, Miss Beautiful is focused less on competition than on making sure everyone who participates gets the chance to shine, according to Amy Marcus, connection coordinator for East Brainerd Church of Christ who assisted with organizing the event. Instead of naming just one Miss Beautiful, judges gave each participant a superlative award, such as “Miss Courageous” or “Miss Energetic.”
Upon arrival, each Miss Beautiful participant was paired with a female volunteer, or “buddy of the day,” whose focus was to be a friend and helping hand throughout the day. Each pageant contestant was pampered from head to toe at hair, nail and makeup stations before being treated to a free dinner donated by Fazoli’s.
The big event began with the “Beauty Walk,” in which participants walked the pink carpet with an escort by their side. Each then had the opportunity to participate in the optional talent portion of the event before judges awarded titles to all the participants.
The pageant was founded in 2013 by Caitlyn Gobble, then a high school student, who planned this year’s event along with sister Christie Gobble with the help Marcus. For its first six years, the pageant was held in Gobble’s former hometown of Cleveland, Tennessee, and was moved this year to her new church in East Brainerd, where it will be held again next year, said Marcus.
Participants and the 97 volunteers that day enjoyed desserts donated by Nothing Bundt Cakes and doughnuts donated by Tasty Donuts, and participants arrived to the pageant in style thanks to a limo donated by Warren & Griffin. Their beauty was enhanced by hairstylists Maggie Cline of Brandon Ray Salon and Erin Buchholz of Inspire Allure, as well as by makeup donated by Mary Kay consultant Lynn Hubbard. Sara Van Senus Photography helped capture the day’s events on film.
Email Emily Crisman at ecrisman@timesfreepress.com.