Fighting breast cancer through pageantry
BREAST cancer awareness is the main objective of the Miss Fabulous Zimbabwe Beauty pageant dinner set for tomorrow evening at Golden Peacock Villa Hotel in Mutare.
The event will feature a glamorous fashion show, a live music performance and a raffle draw with exciting prizes.
In an interview, the host, Zimbabwe Youth and Cultural Identity Enhancement Trust (ZYCIET) president, Simbarashe Gwawawa said guests will also have the opportunity to learn more about their advocacy work and initiatives.
He said the event is expected to attract a large and diverse crowd of supporters, sponsors and other stakeholders.
“The red carpet event will showcase talents and achievements of the contestants who will compete for the coveted title of Miss Fabulous Zimbabwe.
It will also feature entertainment, speeches and awards for sponsors and organisers of the pageant,” he said.
Gwawawa said the pageant which will feature 30 contestants from across the country will also see breast cancer survivors and fighters participating.
“Even those who lost their loved ones to the disease are welcome as we will be raising awareness in solidarity with them. I am one of these people as I lost my aunt to the disease while I was still young.
“I had a hard time living with the pain she went through as well as her loss. This is why we have made the pageant part of our annual campaign to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer.
“Our aim is to empower and inspire women who have faced this challenge and also educate the society about the importance of early detection and prevention of breast cancer.
“The pageant is not a beauty contest, but a celebration of inner beauty and strength. We hope that this event will generate resources and attention for breast cancer research and prevention,” he said. He said the money raised from the pageant will be used to assist breast cancer patients in hospitals around Manicaland and to support vulnerable members of the community across the country.
“We are committed to giving back to the society and support the well-being of our less fortunate fellow citizens. That is why we have decided to allocate a portion of our earnings to provide essential hygiene products for those in need. Specifically, we will distribute sanitary pads and maternity pads to women and girls who face challenges in accessing them,” he said.
The event will be held from 5pm to 11pm. “The 30 models will battle it out for the top prizes that include the queen, first and second princesses respectively. They will also be 15 special awards for the top model, Miss Personality, ambassador, talent queen, best fashion designer, best photographer, people’s choice, best national costume, best evening wear, best swim wear, best headshot, best culture wear, best avante wear, best sports wear and fashion show winner.
“Winners will receive a project start-up kit as well as cash prizes,” said Gwawawa.
The winning queen will proceed to the International Miss Fabulous competition to be held in Thailand later this year.
Tickets for the event are being sold at all Eat and Lick restaurants, Manica Barrels, Golden Peacock Hotel and at ZYCIET offices in Greenside.
A standard ticket for an individual is going for US$45, while individual tickets for VIP and VVIP are selling for US$90 and US$115 respectively.
A standard ticket for a table for 10 is going for $350, while a VIP and VVIP table for ten ticket is being sold at US$550 and US$770 respectively.