Rival Pageants Announced for Independence

Details

Shows

Friday, 02 September 2011 02:30

By Everton Barnes

Antigua St John's - The Independence Steering Committee has announced details of the annual Homecoming Queen Show. But no sooner was the announcement made than there was an announcement of a rival show, the Miss Parish Queen 2011.

The shows are slated to take place just days apart, with the Parish Queen show on October 26 and the Independence Homecoming on October 28.

The Independence Homecoming Queen Committee had issued a statement saying that no rival show would be allowed to take place within the official 30th anniversary of Independence observance.

Later, a release from the Parish Queen organisers said they had decided not to proceed with their show.

On Thursday morning, Director of Culture Gilbert Laudat appeared on ABS TV's Good Morning Antigua & Barbuda to confirm that the organisers of the Miss Parish Queen Show had decided to call off their pageant after the intervention of Culture Minister Eleston "Namba" Adams.

But in a media release, Signature Events, an organisation headed by promoter Kirk Vhon Kelt, announced the launch of the rival pageant and said it had already selected its delegates, dubbed the Phenomenal Seven.

Things got more confusing when Signature Events announced that it had the blessing of Minister Adams, and one takes into accounts Vhon Kelt’s close relationship with Laudat.

“The pageant which has been in the planning and development stage since last year, is being staged on Saturday, November 26, at 8 pm at the Dean William Lake Cultural Centre,” the statement said.

It named the seven delegates - Kimberly King, Shameber Whaul, Karina Alexander, Rhea Pluck, Thalia Joseph, Helina Hewlett, and Jovanna December, and said, “One of the reasons for this specific date is to coincide with the usual Tourism Week of events that is organised by the Ministry of Tourism Civil Aviation and Culture and usually takes place around that time of the year,” the statement noted.

It said Signature Events aims to prepare young women for the world of pageantry, not just locally, but regionally and internationally. He said intense training is done to prepare the delegates at the level required internationally.

Caribarena.com made several attempts to contact the principals involved in both pageants up to late Thursday, but was not successful.

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