AUSTRALIAN BEAUTY PAGEANT HEAVYWEIGHTS JOIN FORCES TO AID TYPHOON VICTIMS OF THE PHILIPPINES
The Big4 Winners from Australia – Erin Holland (Miss World), Olivia Wells (Miss Universe), Renera Thompson (Miss Earth) and Johanna Parker (Miss International)
Australian beauty pageant heavy weights have put aside friendly competition to join forces and raise funds for the Philippines under the banner Beauty Queens Unite.
Directors and titleholders of Miss World Australia, Miss Humanity Australia, Miss Supranational Australia, Miss Teen, Miss and Mrs Australia International, Miss Earth Australia and Miss Tourism Australia together with pageant industry watchdog Dear Pageant Girl will be acting on behalf of the Red Cross to raise much needed funds for the Philippines.
The islands of the Philippines were struck by Super Typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda and the strongest typhoon in world history) devastating the lives of over 11 million people and 1.7 million children. As many as 10,000 people may have been feared dead.
The Red Cross is at the forefront of the relief efforts appealing for $84million in aid to the devastated country.
Peter Sereno of Dear Pageant Girl and spokesperson for Beauty Queens Uniteappealed to the heads and crowned titleholders of the major pageants in Australia to reach out to their networks and work together to help the victims of the Super Typhoon and help the Red Cross achieve this goal.
“This is the first and possibly the only time in Australian, if not global history, for rival pageants to set aside the competition and join forces to raise funds to help a country in crisis,” says Peter, whose background is Filipino.
“The people of the Philippines are the biggest pageant fans in the world. It is a phenomenon deeply embedded in their cultural psyche and is like a national sport. Beauty queens are revered in the Philippines and often hold the same status as celebrities and government officials. When the Philippines won their first ever Miss World crown in September the whole country went into shut down – and so did Filipino ex pats around the world.
“We would like to thank Sylvie Ghazal-Boutros of the Miss Teen, Miss and Mrs Australia International franchise and her Touch of Goodness Foundation for lending us the tagline Beauty Queens Unite – Shine On. This is her initiative but was generous enough to lend it to us for this project. It is the perfect description and the best way to describe our Aussie beauty queens; that when times get tough, we set aside our differences and we work together for the greater good.
“The reigning Miss Earth Australia 2013 is currently in the Manila for the Miss Earth pageant. Wishing to assist her sisters of the sash she will provide vital ground details back to Beauty Queens Unite and will also network, inspire and mobilize other beauty queens to join Beauty Queens Unite and further the cause” says Peter.
We wish to thank the following organisations and their queens for assisting with our fundraising efforts:
- Miss World Australia 2013 and Miss World Oceania – Erin Holland
- Miss Humanity Australia 2013 – Ashleigh Wheeldon
- Miss Earth Australia 2013 – Renera Thompson
- Miss Supranational Australia 2013 and Miss Supranational Queen of Ocenia – Esma Voloder
- Miss Tourism Australia – Monika Radulovic
- Miss Australia International 2013 – Felcia D’jamirze
- Mrs Australia International 2013 – Jordaine Chattaway
- Miss Teen Australia International 2014 – Aamani Hatoum
- Miss Australia International 2014 – Natalie Assaad
- Mrs Australia International 2014 – Kate Johnson
Donations and auction bids can be made at:
https://typhoonhaiyan.everydayhero.com/au/beauty-queens-unite
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For more information, agents and interview requests please contact:
Peter Sereno
Dear Pageant Girl
0416218250
www.facebook.com/dearpageantgirl
