Calling all young beauty pageant hopefuls.
The Shell Factory & Nature Park will host the Miss Lee County U.S. International and Miss Lee County Teen World pageant Sept. 12.
Organizers are looking for more pageant entries.
The titles the winners will walk away with in the “Capture the Crown” event are Miss Lee County U.S. International and Miss Lee County Teen Florida World.
The deadline to apply to be in the competition is Sunday.
“There are two divisions: the Miss and the Teen,” said Donna Ellis, marketing director for the Shell Factory. “The teen competition is for girls from the ages 13 to 17, and the Miss is 18 to 26.
“It is the official preliminary pageant for the Miss Teen Florida World and Miss Florida U.S. International. The winners go to the state pageant in April,” she said.
Little Miss Fort Myers Ashley Dale, pageant director Sandi Spahn and Rachel Collins, Miss Teen Naples World, visited the Shell Factory to promote the event Saturday.
“They attracted a lot of attention,” Ellis said. “They had tiaras and banners on and were lovely girls.”
The emcee will be Gary Firestone, of Firestone & Cimring Advertising.
“He has had experience in emceeing preliminary pageants for Miss America,” she said. “I think he’s a great choice because he has a wonderful voice and good sense of humor and a charismatic personality.”
This is Spahn’s first year as the pageant director. She helped Cape Coral resident Donna Snow, who is Miss Southwest Florida U.S. International, with her sponsorship to enter that contest.
Spahn said she is looking forward to the upcoming event.
No pageant experience or talent is necessary to participate. There is no talent portion.
Why is this type of competition good for a contestant?
“It is because of all the advantages all the girls have with being a queen,” Spahn said. “First of all, we help them with going out to events and they also get appearances. They get to meet people, be in parades and be visible in the community. It helps them grow.”
There is a $200 entry fee.
“If they want to, they can go out and find a full sponsor,” she said.
The sponsor gets an ad in the directory.
Tickets for the event cost $15 and are available at the Shell Factory or at the door.
For ticket information, call Ellis at 995-2141, ext. 145.
For pageant information including how to apply, call Spahn at 703-994-0254 or visit: application.missworldus@gmail.com.