Miss Tropic Hawaiian Pageant
Persia Bravin Reporting...
An annual beauty pageant in Second Life proves that looks aren’t everything…
It is 1pm SLT at the nonprofit sim of Oahu, Hawaii. The palm trees sway gently in the breeze, exotic flowers and birdlife are in abundance and the gentle sound of traditional Hawaiian music fills the air. Waiting patiently, 24 of Second Life’s most stunning female avatars are making final preparations in readiness for today’s star event, the grand finale of ‘Miss Tropic Hawaiian 2009’.
This contest is not purely to showcase feminine beauty, but is also the main fundraising event in SL for ‘The Compassionate Coalition’ a charity that helps defend the rights of medical marijuana patients and their care providers through education and community participation. With extensive medical research confirming that marijuana is a legitimate drug to help ease the symptoms of diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, glaucoma and blood pressure problems, all funds raised from this event will be used to support many worthwhile RL projects.
This annual competition attracts huge attention from across the grid-all 24 girls taking part in this competition have spent weeks in readiness; writing speeches and refining their individual looks for each of the three stages-swimwear, evening gown and interview. With Metaverse TV also in attendance, professional attitudes and not diva temperaments are clearly going to be a girls best accessory today.
Event organizer, Twstd Ruggles, warmly welcomes the large crowd as we all settle into our tropical paradise and as one of the judges, I am handed a voting hud to wear, which enables the panel of five judges to all give confidential votes directly to Twstd herself. SL musician, Zerbie Magic eases us all into the summer mood with a blissfully relaxed, one hour set of her soulful ballads and before we know it, the contest is underway.
Each girl takes her moment in the spotlight, all clad in some of the finest evening gowns from SL’s top designers. The contestants are then asked to introduce themselves and give a presentation in local chat-giving the judges the hard task of deciding who will advance and become the final 18. All contestants displayed exceptional poise under the pressure and deserve praise for their professionalism. With the final 18 girls all assembled, the panel are given the opportunity to directly ask questions-a true test of any beauty Queen looking to win this coveted crown.
Finally, the moment arrives for the overall winner to be announced and the crowd falls silent in anticipation. Runners up Katheryn Blackadder and Leilani Siamendes walk to the stage accompanied by cheers and congratulations from all the assembled well-wishers. The outright winner is then revealed as Megan Szerman who truly excelled in all areas of the contest and will undoubtedly be the perfect ambassador in her forthcoming year as ‘Miss Tropic Hawaiian’.
Sitting down on the beach with a well deserved cocktail after the event, I congratulate Twstd Ruggles on this amazing show and ask her how she feels “I consider the fundraising done by all the ladies extraordinary and I am very proud of each and every one of them for all the hard work they did in gathering contributions for The Compassionate Coalition. We hope to keep the tradition going for many years to come and I look forward to next year’s 3rd Annual competition.”
As the sun sets above the lagoon, I feel extremely proud of everyone who was involved in this spectacular fundraiser and it is proof that the hard work and dedication of the residents of Second Life really does impact on the real lives of those facing health challenges around the world.
Visit Website:
http://www.compassionatecoalition.org
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