Special Star Pageant a place to shine

MOSES LAKE - Beauty pageants are known for being glittery, glamorous extravaganzas. But if there’s ever been one more out-and-out joyful than the Special Star Pageant, it’s hard to imagine what it would be.

Saturday afternoon, the sanctuary at the Assembly at Moses Lake was graced with five young women dressed to kill and showing poise and beauty as they participated in the pageant. They ranged in age from 17 to 38 and all had different dreams and aspirations. There were two things they all had in common: they all have Down syndrome, and they were all regal.

This is the second year that the Down Syndrome Society of Grant County teamed up with pageant veteran Pam Curnel to produce the Special Star Pageant. As Curnel related the story, the pageant came about because Brandie Atnip, whose brother has Down syndrome, “begged me for months” to do something like it.

Having been convinced, Curnel is as enthusiastic about the pageant as anyone. “These kids are very intelligent, talented and caring,” she said. “They’ve really come out of their shell. Their confidence is incredible.”

This year’s contestants were Alex Boorman, Vanessa Cardenas, Daniela Farias, JoAnna Flagan and Taysha Snyder.

The pageant raised $1,050 for the Down Syndrome Society through both program sales and community donations. But more than anything, it gave girls who might otherwise be overlooked a chance to shine.

And it wasn’t just the ladies. Each contestant was escorted by a young gentleman, all of whom also have Down syndrome. Arrayed in tuxedos provided by Formality in Moses Lake, the five young men appeared to stand 10 feet tall as they conveyed the ladies to the different portions of the event.

Two of the young men are enrolled at Big Bend Community College. James Smith is taking classes in music and plays guitar, trumpet and violin. “I think I got good vibes,” he said.

Scott Carter, who also graduated Moses Lake High School, is engaged to be married. His fiancée is due to move to Moses Lake from Nevada later this month, he said. Carter credited Curnel with making a big difference in his life.

“The first time I met Pam she was adorable,” he said. “Pam gave me wings.”

Besides Carter and Smith, the escorts were Kyle Eckelbarger, Alexandro Gutierrez and Ricky Ramos. Contestant Gladys Orozco and escort Chase Klenz were both unable to attend due to illness, Curnel said.

The pageant began with the participants making a grand entrance in casual wear, processing to the stage and jamming out to “Uptown Funk.” After they filed off the stage, the judges and volunteers were introduced. Curnel’s co-host was Daniel Law, who led the proceedings with a showman’s flair. Queen and princess judges were Mrs. America 2017 Natalie Luttmer, Mrs. Washington 2017 Deidra Murphy and Mrs. Washington Senior Linda Bishop. Awards judges were Mrs. Grant County Amy Dana, Mrs. Spokane County Anita Eylar, Mrs Moses Lake Susanne Paterson and Mrs. Columbia Basin Ekta Saini.

Then the pageant began in earnest with the casual wear portion. One by one, the ladies entered, stepped away from their escorts and glided to center stage, where Law asked them cordial questions about what they wanted to do later in life and the things they enjoyed. Alex Boorman, who is already known in the community as an artist, said with an impish look that she wants to be a troublemaker when she grows up, JoAnna Flagan was more down-to-earth, saying she wanted to own a health club and to advocate for people with disabilities.

Following the casual wear and the introduction of judges, Law serenaded Curnel with a Sinatra-worthy rendition of “You Make Me Feel So Young,” while the contestants and escorts changed into their finery.

The party wear portion of the pageant was structured the same as the casual wear, with questions and answers from Law. A couple of the ladies had been a bit shy, but blossomed the second time as their comfort level increased.

A second interlude followed while the judges tallied up awards and deliberated over whom to crown. Law again entertained the audience, this time with a rendition of “Believe in Yourself” from the musical “The Wiz.”

At last the judges were agreed and the moment everyone was awaiting had arrived. The awards were announced first: Alex Boorman, Best Smile; Vanessa Cardenas, Miss Congeniality; Daniela Farias, Miss Photogenic and Taysha Snyder, Best Model.

Then one by one the princesses took center stage to receive their crowns. Finally, the last contestant came forward to be crowned Special Star Queen: JoAnna Flagan, beaming like a beacon as she accepted her tiara and flowers.

Sure, Miss America may pull in a bigger audience and get lots of publicity. But for one afternoon, nothing in the world shone brighter than five Special Stars in Moses Lake.