RSS'Miracle children' are inspiration for Mr. East Valley
For the Yakima Herald-Republic
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"And the winner of the 2008 Mr. East Valley Pageant is ..."
Well, we don't exactly know who's going to win the pageant this year, but we do know how much hard work has gone into making it as successful as past years.
I've been a spectator at this event for the last year years. This year's different. I was selected by East Valley High School staff and students to be one of the 12 contestants competing for the title.
Angel Benitez, Matt Bigby, Kyle Crowston, Garrett Gress, Kevin Komstadius, Cameron Mugleston, Matt Orthmann, Kurt Russell, Jilberto Soto, Cody Swallow and Ryan Young -- in addition to myself -- were all given crowns and sashes after being called down in front of the entire school during an assembly last December.
At that assembly, the student body viewed a video about this year's "miracle children." Each pageant has a miracle child, a member of our school or community that has been personally touched by the services at Children's Village in Yakima. The child and family come to all of our events and work along side us to provide a firsthand perspective about who we're helping.
This year, however, we have more than one miracle child. We have the "Taylor Triplets." The triplets -- Kaden, Kobe and Macy Taylor -- are well known throughout East Valley; they are the sons and daughter of Kevin and Michele Taylor, P.E. teachers in the East Valley School District.
The Mr. East Valley Pageant is a fundraising event for The Memorial Foundation YouthWorks program. Money raised goes to benefit facilities like Children's Village and the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital.
We're raising this money any way we can.
Each contestant is given several cans to carry around to help solicit donations. Whether it's asking kids at school or placing them at local businesses, we do everything in our power to fill those cans to the brim.
We've also had several enjoyable fundraising events to maximize our earnings. Our first event was the Bowl-a-thon, in which contestants were required to raise a minimum amount toward the cause. At a home basketball game, we sold pizza. And at halftime, we made a dash for cash through the crowd of fans.
We also worked the concession stand at a basketball game, and we were auctioned off for dates. We also hosted an event at the Outback Steakhouse in Union Gap; all of the proceeds from a favorite menu item -- the Bloomin' Onion -- for one night went toward our cause.
We hosted a baked potato feed, too. We also worked at the Jack-son's Sports Bar in Terrace Heights, which donated the proceeds from dessert sales to us.
Along with these various events, each contestant was asked to send out letters to friends and family asking for donations.
But, before we started raising all of this money, we had to opportunity to tour the NICU at Memorial and see just how beneficial our pageant is. This facility, for pre-mature babies, is the only one of its kind in the Yakima Valley. Seeing all of the medical equipment that's needed to help these babies survive raised our awareness about the need for funds to support this type of facility.
We also had the opportunity to visit Children's Village. This is a place where children with disabilities and special needs can come to receive treatment. Each area of the building is painted with a different theme. With so many colors and fun objects for kids, children get professional treatment without feeling like they're in a doctor's office.
Working side by side the contestants are "pageant coordinators." These high school girls take part in all of the events, doing most of the behind-the-scenes work. They are seniors Kelsee Bryan and Kaitlin DeWitt, juniors Angie Perrotti and Paige Perrault, and sophomore Zuri Gonzalez.
Leading everyone are Mary Lynne Brewington and Logan Howarth of The Memorial Foundation. Brewington and Howarth attend weekly meetings at our high school and all of our various events. They are the true brains behind the pageant, which would not be possible without their time and dedication.
One of the benefits of being a contestant is getting to see how generous our community is. From neighbors who give money to passing students in the hallway who drop coins and cash into our cans to businesses who allow us to put cans on their counters, everyone seems to enjoy helping out the candidates.
All of the fun and hard work comes to a close Monday, the night of the big pageant. At 7 p.m. at Yakima's Capitol Theatre, everything from dance routines to talents will be showcased.
If you're free, come on down to watch as the 2008 Mr. East Valley candidates embarrass themselves. This is the best entertainment $5 can buy, and your contributions will help make a difference in a child's life.
* Matt Rossow attends East Valley High School.
