'Miss Westchester' Pageant Coming to White Plains

Next month, on Sept. 5, 18 local young women will compete in the 2010 Miss Westchester Pageant. 

"We just started it," said founder Laura Giannone. "It's the inaugural year. It's a learning experience for us as well." 

The pageant will be held at the White Plains Performing Arts Center in White Plains at 7 p.m. Girls between the ages of 14 and 19 will compete for the Miss Westchester Teen title, and those between 18 and 27 for the Miss Westchester title. 

The diverse group of participants hail from all corners of Westchester, including Harrison, Eastchester, Peekskill, Dobbs Ferry, Ardsley, Yorktown Heights and Sleepy Hollow. Entry regulations require contestants to be single, never married, have no children and residents of Westchester. 

Giannone has a history of modeling and pageant participation. She is the co-executive director along with Dee van Eyck. Friends for 35 years, Giannone and van Eyck always thought about running a pageant. 

"We always talked about doing this when we were living together down in the city," Giannone said. "We were roommates."

A few months ago,  Giannone—who has two daughters who do not participate in pageants—coached van Eyck's daughter, Katherine, for Miss New York USA. When Katherine did well, Giannone and van Eyck decided to bring their lifelong dream to reality. 

"This is a huge production," Giannone said. "It's been a pleasure working with the girls." 

Participants in the pageant must apply and pay a $550 fee. They are provided with four preparatory workshops, multiple photo shoots and rehearsals for the pageant. The girls are also taught how to seek sponsorship to help them pay their fee and additional costs—for gowns, hair and makeup, for example. 

"We've been teaching everything from interview skills, business etiquette, grace, how to command an audience," she said. "We teach a lot of self-awareness."

Giannone cites a painfully shy contestant who has come out of her shell during the course of the workshops as one of the successes of the pageant process thus far. She says what is taught in the workshops will help girls in life; including college interviews and business networking.

"Each girl is beautiful inside, and it's just coming right out on the outside," she said. 

Pageants in the media are oftentimes portrayed negatively, whether it be TLC's show "Toddlers & Tiaras" or the glamorized image of a too-thin teen.

"The most important thing is to be healthy and to be fit," she said. "There aren't any young ladies here who are extremely thin. We foster keeping healthy." 

Contestants will be judged based on one-on-one interviews with the judges and appearances in swimsuit and ball gown. The girls crowned Miss Westchester and Miss Teen Westchester will be given a slew of prizes—including acting lessons and gym memberships—and work as ambassadors for the county for the next year. 

"They'll go to store openings and parades," Giannone said. "They're going to be a role model for young women in Westchester."

The winners will also go on to compete in the Miss New York USA pageants. 

Click here to find out information about tickets.