Miss Universe Jamaica organisers to make pageant a weekend affair
Coronation to take place October 30
Published:Monday | October 4, 2021 | 12:07 AMStephanie Lyew/Gleaner Writer -
The road to the 2021 Miss Universe Jamaica Beauty, Fashion and Wellness Pageant continues. As the competition intensifies in searching for the most deserving woman for the coveted title, 10 candidates were officially introduced at the sashing ceremony held last Saturday at the AC Hotel Kingston.
This was the first occasion where the top 10 finalists were formally introduced.
As they walked the floor of the hotel’s state-of-the-art Innovation Gallery, with faces glammed up by Oneil Baugh and wearing swimsuits by the pageant’s official swimwear sponsor Cacdemode out of Vietnam, Mark McDermoth, co-director of Miss Universe Jamaica, shared the personal achievements, advocacy and future aspirations of each candidate. After the presentation, each sponsor was allowed to present the sashes.
WELLNESS WEEKEND
Another key part of the sashing ceremony was the announcement of the pageant’s transformation into a wellness weekend, with the hopes of executing the activities on the grounds of the St Ann-based hotel they are partnering with and which will be named in the coming week.
“Wellness is the way to go,” expressed McDermoth.
Speaking about the plans for the wellness weekend, the co-director of Miss Universe Jamaica explained that it would encompass three days of fitness and health activities with the finalists and their sponsors.
“What we are envisioning is a pageant that focus on all areas of wellness, especially in these times when people’s health, not only physical, but mental health, requires the greatest attention,” McDermoth told The Gleaner.
“We are serious about making a difference and enhancing lives in whichever way possible, within means of the various health and safety protocols,” he continued.
The 2021 Miss Universe Jamaica pageant’s preliminary activities will continue for approximately one month, and include the training sessions with actress and runway coach Lu Celania Sierra. The pageant culminates on October 30, where the reigning queen, Miqueal-Symone Williams, will pass her crown to her successor. In May, Williams represented Jamaica at the 69th Miss Universe competition held in Hollywood, Florida, and made it to the top 10 before exiting. She continues to work on her Bloom initiative for mental health awareness.
“In addition to all the work our finalists have to put into preparing to earn the crown and title of Miss Universe Jamaica 2021, each of them are charged to identify a concern in her community, whether healthcare, school-feeding programmes, sexual harassment and awareness, and we are excited to help them get their projects under way. In whatever we do, we want it to be valuable and to have some kind of meaning,” McDermoth said.
Specially invited guests at the sashing were Miss Universe Jamaica 1997 Nadine Thomas and Children’s Advocate Diahann Gordon Harrison, as well as sponsors and partners, including Curves Jamaica, Design Essentials, Lasco iCool (official hydration partner), Express Fitness, and BluShip Cargo and Freight, which is once again providing the winner with travel insurance.