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This pageant promises multiple benefits Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Glenn D. Hale Elementary School students gather around a promotional display for the Miss Starlight Benefit Competition during their lunch break Tuesday. The pageant is designed to give children a venue for their talents and a passion for helping others in their community. The young entrants build confidence while they raise money for charitable causes By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune EAGLE POINT - In this pageant, every contestant takes home a crown - and the inspiration to help others' wishes come true all year long. "It's an opportunity for kids to show what they've got and help the community in the process," says Melissa Beck, an 18-year-old senior at Eagle Point High School who is founder and director of the annual Miss Starlight Benefit Competition. Pageant is May 18 The third annual Miss Starlight is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. May 18 at Eagle Point High School. Girls ages 1 to 19 are invited to compete in several categories, including most talented, most photogenic, best essay. Applications are due May 1 and the entry fee is $50. Money raised will be donated to the EPHS jazz program. The event is free and open to the public. Free workshops are scheduled for 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 2 to 6 p.m. April 20 at the Eagle Point City Hall Community Center. For applications and additional information, contact Melissa Beck at 826-4913. Beck says the pageant, scheduled May 18, is designed to give youths a venue for their talents while raising money for charitable organizations. "I wanted to do a pageant that was different than the others," she says. "I wanted to get past all the makeup and the glitter and the glitz." The pageant was started in 1999 by Beck and her friend Sarah Thorne, who were then sophomores at EPHS. They held their first competition in 2000 with 25 contestants and raised about $800 to help remodel a youth center. Last year featured 50 contestants and raised more than $1,600 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Beck says the pageant's mission is to inspire youth to get involved in their community. Entrants participate in community service projects throughout the year, from a canned food drive for ACCESS and toy collection for sick children to a car wash and a dance. Kendra Ash, 7, won Little Miss Starlight in last year's competition. "You get to meet lots of new friends," Kendra says, adding that her favorite parts were riding her scooter for the talent competition and wearing a pink party dress. Ten-year-old Tyra Farschon played piano in last year's pageant. She says she enjoys the performance aspect and doesn't feel nervous playing music for an audience. "I'm going to play my clarinet," Tyra says. "I'm going to play Fr�re Jaques." Beck, who works year-round on arranging sponsors and pageant details, says the pageant has given her a personal bonus. "It was amazing how much it boosted my confidence," she says. "I'm still pretty shy, but it's helped a lot." She says she's been in 14 pageants since she was 11 years old and uses them as an opportunity to sing. From singing on stage in Las Vegas in front of 5,000 people to performing on a Carnival Cruise, Beck is definitely overcoming her shyness, says grandmother Donna Beck of Central Point. "She loves to sing," she says. "She's trying to help (kids) grow and be self-motivated and be confident in large groups large people." From soliciting businesses for support to spending her own money on dresses for contestants who couldn't afford them, Beck is dedicated to making the event a success, Donna Beck says. "Melissa never gives up," she says. "She's a trooper." Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.