THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 26, 1994 TAG: 9406240263
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER AND SUSAN SMITH, STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: 940626 LENGTH: Long
At this year's 1994 Miss Virginia Pageant, a preliminary for the Miss America competition, there will be six - count 'em, six - young women from Chesapeake. That's never happened before.
{REST} ``I honestly can see all six making the top 10,'' said Jeff Bunn, director of the Miss Chesapeake Pageant and Special Events Inc., a company that organizes other regional and national pageants.
According to Jeanette Whitfield, who has worked with local pageants for years and is chaperone for Miss Norfolk, this year's winning group from Chesapeake are the most talented, well rounded and knowledgeable women she has seen in several years. Other experts agree.
``I've worked with all the girls in the past. I know them all,'' said Mary Sue Davis, a member of the Miss Chesapeake and Miss Portsmouth Seawall pageant committees. ``All are talented young women who will make the city proud.''
How can there be six? Isn't there only one Miss Chesapeake?
True enough, the official Miss Chesapeake is Beth Sawyer, who won the city pageant last spring. The other five entered and won what are known as ``festival'' or ``open'' pageants such as Miss Portsmouth Seawall, Miss Virginia Beach, Miss Augusta County or Miss Norfolk.
These competitions are open to any young women who live, work or attend school in Virginia, Davis said.
``Yes, this is unprecedented,'' Bunn said. ``It's very unusual to have maybe two or three from the same city, but six is something else.''
``We had three from Chesapeake last year,'' Davis said. ``That's the most I can remember.''
All six realize that doing well in pageants these days requires much more than just a pretty face.
``These young women are very focused, competitive and have strong direction,'' Whitfield said. ``A lot of hard work and training have brought them to this level.''
Lori McCaffery, a former Miss Tidewater from Great Bridge, who is still involved with area pageants as a sponsor and chaperone, said the planning and hard work become more difficult each year for the contestants.
``They're like athletes,'' Bunn said. ``They train long and hard. There's no such thing as a beauty pageant anymore. It's about professional women of the '90s.''
``It's not a matter of swimsuits and evening gowns,'' McCaffery said. ``Each girl has to be prepared to face the judges with a special issue or project.''
Some of the projects and issues championed by the Chesapeake six include early childhood education, AIDS awareness and tolerance, the Special Olympics and education reform.
Whitfield said the hard work, research and communications skills mastered by these young women will benefit them the rest of their lives. During her years working with pageant hopefuls she has watched them develop into well-rounded young women.
``Something occurs to these young women,'' Whitfield said. ``They're put into an environment where they meet career people, they acquire polished skills and a focus to move into a professional career.''
Whatever happens at the Miss Virginia Pageant, Chesapeake can be proud of all six of its representatives.
``I don't know if you'll ever get this many again,'' Davis said. ``It's nice to know Chesapeake has good educational facilities, community and family support and other resources to hone such talent.''
{KEYWORDS} MISS VIRGINIA PAGEANT CONTESTANTS
by CNB