Nine young women are set to compete in the inaugural Miss Skeldon Heritage Resort Pageant on Saturday at the Skeldon Heritage Resort.
The nine contestants all hail from communities in and around Skeldon, East Berbice, Corentyne.
In a press release, the coordinator of the pageant, Linden Murray, stated that the pageant was conceptualised over a year ago. He noted that after being delegated with the management of the resort, formerly the GuySuCo estate staff compound, he decided to use the pageant as a signature event for the facility. “Since taking over as the manager I am cognizant that there are a number of initiatives and events that I can implement so as to make this resort profitable and that is what I have been doing,” Murray was quoted as saying.
Murray noted that when a call was made for contestants, they received a great response with a number of young women seeking to participate, however some were unable to proceed due to limited sponsorship.
Murray said that a number of businesses are usually bombarded with the same set of persons requesting sponsorship. “As such several of the young ladies had difficulties in securing sponsorship” Murray stated while adding that he is personally thankful to the sponsors of the young ladies as their sponsorship will aid in the development of the communities where the ladies are from.
The contestants are 22-year-old Chovesha Tahal, who is a television hostess and marketing agent at Berbice’s Channel 19 TV station; 15-year-old Renee France, who is a student at the Skeldon Line Path Secondary School and hails from Siparuta; 18-year-old Ishieka Nowrang, who wants to pursue a career in finance; 19-year-old Natoya Rawlins, who is pursuing a career as an immigration officer; 19-year-old Atasha Pantlitz, who wants to become an entrepreneur; 19-year-old, Latisha Boyce, who is currently pursuing studies to become a Human Resources Officer; 16-year-old Felicia Reece, who is a fifth form student at the Skeldon Line Path Secondary and is set to sit seven CSEC subjects in 2020; and sisters, Indira Laljit, 15 and Lalita Laljit, 14. The elder Laljit is a student at the Skeldon Line Path Secondary School and would like to become an Immigration Officer after sitting nine subjects. The younger sister has her sights set on writing 14 subjects at CSEC and hopes to become a medical doctor.
The contestants are being coached by pageant trainer Simeon Burnett, who is a television host of the popular Channel 19 programme Music Mix in Berbice. Burnett noted that the pageant is not a typical beauty pageant but is one with a difference and expressed his confidence in all the contestants.
The event will take place on October 5th with a number of popular artistes set to perform, tickets are available and cost $1000.
