Pageant Builds Poise And Pride In Caribbean Youth

On June26th South Florida’s finest young ladies will compete for the coveted title of Miss JamaicaFlorida 2011.  The Miss Jamaica FloridaPageant hosted by The Partners for Youth Foundation celebrates 22years of elegance and sophisticationat the Coral Springs Center for the Arts at 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 26th2011

This year The Miss Jamaica Florida Pageant iscelebrating Jamaicans around the world by embodying the theme, “I AM JAMAICA”as a tribute to the mission of the Jamaican Diaspora of the Southern UnitedStates. “As a staple in the Jamaican community for 22 years, we recognize theimportance of sustaining our Jamaican culture while we make our home away fromhome”, says pageant Co- Director June Minto. Marcia Rigg-Baker, Pageant Founderand Co-Director, echoed that sentiment, “We pride ourselves on being more thana beauty pageant. We have always been an organization that places particular importance on the cultural development ofyouth in South Florida”.

Contestantsages 5- 21, will compete in four age categories; Little Miss, Junior Miss, MissTeen, and Miss. More than 20 young ladies will showcase their Grace, Glamour,Poise and Pride in evening wear, speech and creative expression segments. Thisyear’s creative expression segment of the competition is dedicated to membersof the Jamaican Diaspora that have made remarkable contributions to theirrespective craft and as a result have enhanced the Jamaican cultureglobally.  Honorees – Attorney MarlonHill, Musician Marcia Griffiths and General Colin Powell to name a few, include local and international Jamaicans ofdistinction.

ThePageant, started in 1990 by the late Anthony Baker and has since been sustainedby Macia Rigg-Baker and the Board of Directors for The Partners for YouthFoundation, a charitable, non-profit organization. This pageant is the annualfundraiser for The Partners for Youth Foundation which is committed to theenhancement of children internationally, and recognition of young women in thearea of the Performing Arts.  Thefoundation offers scholarships to students, majoring in Theater or Music,enrolled in a US tertiary institution each year.

Adulttickets to the show are $30.00 and children’s tickets (ages 12 and under) are$15.00.