Monday, May 18, 2009

Dallas’ LKB Foundation crowns Miss LESLIE in untraditional pageant

By Patrice J. Holmes of Dallas Weekly

LESLIE pageant participants

Pageants often showcase participants’ beauty, focusing on their outer person. But a unique form of the pageant was we know it highlighted intelligence and leadership instead of physical beauty.

Leslie K. Bedford Memorial Foundation, a non-profit organization that caters to the growth, education and inspiration of girls in the community, held the first annual Miss LESLIE (Ladies Exemplifying Strong Leadership in Excellence) Pageant.

Held at the Women’s Museum in the historic Fair Park, the pageant was filled with family and friends cheering for their special girl. The event highlighted 13 young ladies from the foundation’s leadership academy with emphasis on their confidence, poise, speaking abilities and overall presence.

LKB president and CEO Phyllis Bedford said all the girls were winners in the eyes of the foundation.

“The girls did their best and showcased themselves in positive ways,” Ms. Bedford said. “So they are all winners because they all did great.”

The event was unlike a traditional pageant because Miss LESLIE is more than a beauty queen. Since the foundation teaches that all the girls possess outward beauty beyond measure, the judges were looking for their inner beauty and leadership qualities. The judges were long-time supporters of the LKB Foundation and included Dr. Wright Lassiter, Chancellor, Dallas County Community College District; Norma Adams Wade, Dallas Morning News Columnist; Kelly Compton, Executive Director, Hoglund Foundation; and Wallace Terry, Ex-Marine.

“The young ladies were uplifting,” Ms. Adams Wade said. “I came home with a smile.”

Kenecia Cook, a graduate of the LKB Leadership Academy and coordinator of the pageant, said the pageant was a great success.

“[The pageant] helped the young ladies discover their inner strengths and determinations,” Ms. Cook said. I hope that they hold on to their beliefs because they can be valuable tools for the future.”

LESLIE winners Terika Williams and Chelsea Bedford

The girls got the chance to show off their own personalities in their fashion choices and talent selections, as well as display their speaking skills in the question and answer portion of the program, all while representing the academy in a regal manner. Terika Williams, an eighth grader at Byrd Middle School in Duncanville, won the title of the first Junior Miss LESLIE in the pageant and said she was excited and surprised to receive the crown.

“I felt the whole pageant experience was fun,” Ms. Williams said. “I will try to use my title to encourage other girls my age to be positive role models and to let them know that if they set their goals and believe and work hard that they can achieve whatever they want as long as they place God first.”

Chelsea Bedford, a sophomore at DeSoto High School was crowned Miss LESLIE. She expressed that she was overwhelmed to be chosen for this honor.

“I am ecstatic that I was chosen to be Miss LESLIE because of all the other young ladies were just as good,” Chelsea said. I am happy and grateful to have this opportunity to participate in a leadership pageant and succeed in it.”

Each of the girls brought a flare of enthusiasm, grace and splendor in the pageant. During their year of service, both winners will be expected to maintain their grade point average, exhibit good moral character and reputation, make a number of personal appearances which will be counted as community service, and keep a journal and picture album for the Foundation to maintain as part of its legacy.

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