Miss(ter)
Pretty in Pink pageant raises funds
By: Lucas
Blankenship
Saturday
October 18, the Ripley High School cheerleaders put on the Miss(ter) Pretty in
Pink pageant to raise money not only for themselves but also for breast cancer
research.
The evening
was kicked off with a speech by Becky Tucker, a breast cancer survivor.
“I got
Facebook messages, text messages, phone calls, flowers, quilts, letters, cards,
and anything else you can think of, some from people I didn’t even know,” she said. “Remember the blessings. You are not alone.”
The event
was hosted by English teacher Jamie Meckley who introduced the contestants:
seniors Easton Berry, Morgan Graves, Bradley Knotts, Triston Lanham, and
Eldrick Millares; juniors Tyler Hilbert, J.J. Mahan, Cody Pittenger, and Aaron
Wilkinson; sophomores Dalton Fisher, Anthony Jarvis, and Todd Withrow. The Senior Division included Coach Luke
Parsons and Morgan Clendinen.
Meckley
gave a performance of her own with a rendition of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”
between the introduction and talent portions.
“I enjoyed
singing on stage,” said Meckley. “I love
entertaining, which is why I enjoy teaching as well.”
For the
talent portion, most contestants danced or lip synched, while some did something
different.
“My mime
routine was a last minute decision,” said Withrow. “I didn’t want to do the same thing as
everyone else.”
Next came
the evening gown competition where the contestants paraded in their finest
dresses.
“Now I know
why it takes girls so long to get ready,” said Wilkinson, who looked like a
princess in his pink ball gown and tiara.
“I felt pretty.”
During the
intermission, attendees got the chance to vote for their favorite contestant by
dropping money into pink paper bags with the participants’ names. Lanham won “Fan Favorite” as well as the
overall competition with his shocking jump split at the end of his dance
routine during the talent portion.
“I thought
it was a good experience and a lot of fun,” said Lanham who was not expecting
to win. “After that split, my legs were shaking and my back was
numb. Bradley Knotts had to help me down
the steps because I could barely walk.
That split was pure adrenaline. I
just did it and threw my earrings into the crowd.”
The
cheerleaders raised over $500 for themselves and more than $360 for breast
cancer research.
“The
pageant was very successful,” said cheerleader Kelsey Holmes. “The boys had a lot of fun.”
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