miss kingston looks to bring back some glitz
veronica deen is working to bring back the miss kingston pageant, last held in the 1970s
3 minute read
veronica deen is trying to revive the miss kingston pageant after an almost 50-year hiatus
elliot ferguson
/
the whig-standard
a kingston woman is working to revive a long dormant tradition.
veronica deen, 29, is probably more recognizable as miss kingston and can often be seen wearing her sash and crown at events around the city.
since there is not yet a miss kingston pageant, deen earned the title through a process of study and meeting requirements set by the organizations that govern pageants.
deen wants to change that by re-establishing the miss kingston pageant, an event last held about 50 years ago.
“i really want to bring pageantry back to kingston because we did have it, but i’m the first miss kingston since the 1970s,” she said in an interview.
“the opportunities and especially the self-esteem boosts that come from pageantry i really want to give to the girls to kingston.”
deen said one of her biggest obstacles to reviving the miss kingston title is convincing people that the event is not going to be the stereotypical pageant.
“you hear a lot of misconceptions about pageants, that’s what i have found. you don’t necessarily hear the truth,” she said.
“i’ve had some people say some very nasty things to me. i’ve had people just say ‘nope, we’re not helping support you. we don’t support just standing on a stage, walking in a dress, doing nothing.’ that’s not what you do.”
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deen said she spends her time networking with local businesses, promoting the pageant on social media and volunteering for local charities.
she said pageants are meant to give women a place to showcase themselves and their abilities.
“revitalizing kingston’s pageant scene after nearly 50 years isn’t just about bringing back a competition,” added brandi middleton, deen’s texas-based pageant coach. “it’s about creating a space where local women and girls build confidence, develop leadership skills, and become engaged in their community in a meaningful way.
“modern pageants go far beyond the outdated stereotypes people might associate with them. they now serve as platforms for advocacy, public speaking, and professional development,” middleton said. “many of today’s titleholders are entrepreneurs, activists and community leaders who use their crowns as a microphone to amplify important causes.”
in addition to her work with local charities, deen said her role as miss kingston helped her overcome her own self-esteem issues she had since being a child.
“my upbringing was not privileged by any type of things. my family was on welfare, consistently at the food bank. i by no means had a blessed life,” she added. “but growing up in that environment where i was kind of at the mercy of the world, it forced me to be strong at a young age and resilient.
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“never would i thought the little girl sitting in pathways to education, reading and writing would have had a crown sitting on her head like this is not where i thought my life was gonna go by any means,” she said.
the pageant is to be open to any person who identifies as a woman.
“there will be four winners a miss teen, a miss, a married miss, and a ms. miss, so there will be four queens in total to attract a broad age range, but mainly to highlight all the women in kingston,” she said. “there are so many inspirational people in kingston.”
winners are to receive a swarovski crystal crown, a sash, a $400 prize, a gift basket and bouquet of flowers.
deen said she hopes to attract at least 20 competitors in each category.
the event, tentatively scheduled for aug. 17, is to include a series of events, including choreography, a talent event and fitness event and an on-stage question each contestant will have to answer.
“it’s not as devious and malicious as the media likes to make it and also it’s not a superficial,” deen said. “it gives you a platform to voice your problem and it also puts you in a circle of other women to help you fix those problems.
“it’s about showcasing yourself,” she said.
elferguson@postmedia.com
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