Contestants shine in Beauty with a Purpose Pageant
The Beauty with a Purpose organization was founded on the idea of including anyone with special needs or disabilities, regardless of age.
AMORY, Miss. (WCBI ) – Pageant contestants are showing that everyone deserves the chance to shine.
Participants from across the area took to the stage for the second annual Beauty with a Purpose pageant.
First, it’s time for hair and makeup. Then, it’s time to hit the runway. Contestants from across the area are showing they have exactly what it takes to shine on stage in the second annual Beauty with a Purpose pageant.
The Beauty with a Purpose organization was founded on the idea of including anyone with special needs or disabilities, regardless of age.
” A sweet little girl named Brayln, I babysit her and she is actually my age,” said Director Marianna Pearson, “We have grown up together our whole life, and I wanted her to have something to do.”
Braylen was born with Trisomy 9p, a rare genetic disorder where a portion of the short arm of chromosome 9 is duplicated. This can lead to intellectual and developmental delays.
Pearson says it has never stopped Braylen from being her authentic self.
” It definitely makes you open your eyes to that situation because you want her to have those same opportunities that you have. You want her to live her life to the fullest.”
Helen Mackey is the Chapter President for The Arc Northeast Mississippi.
An organization that advocates for disability rights and for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Mackey is not only an advocate for others, but she is also the voice for her 11-year-old daughter, Britney Northington, who is diagnosed with Autism, ADHD, SPD, POTS, and Seizures.
Makey says events like these allow Britney to test her comfort zone.
” When she goes on stage, she actually comes alive. She is a completely different kid. She loves getting up there and doing it, and that is her way of communicating with others, and it’s teaching her that it is not so close that it gets in her bubble, but it is enough that she gets what she needs,” said Mackey.
The pageant world has created a community for Northington.
” My favorite part is the volunteer work, and that she gets to make a difference in the world. She has rung the bell for the Salvation Army. She has collected food for the Humane Society. She has also done some of it for the Girl Scouts, too, but she does a lot of it for the pageant, and that’s where a lot of her pageant sisters have become family,” said Mackey.
Volunteers and donors came together to ensure that everything was free.
Brittany Cummings is a local cosmetologist. She helped contestants get ready to make their stage debut.
I just want to come and offer my services to help these girls feel beautiful and have a great day, and you know, do something good to give back to the community. It is just such a great feeling to do what I love, but to also make the girls feel beautiful and make them excited,” said Cummings.
All proceeds from the pageant were donated to the Shine Foundation.
