Xamiera Kippins crowned Miss Earth Guyana
royal blue and gold gown completed with a slit along her thigh almost all the way to her hip and a fishnet train.
In the hashtag category, each contestant selected a slip of paper from a glass bowl that had hashtag and a word relating to the earth. The words were #Renewable, #ClimateChange, #Environment, #Nature, #EcoFriendly and #Earth. Each contestant definitively explained what their word meant. Following the tallying of the scores the top four were chosen: Anita, Luann, Akisha and Xamiera.
After a ten-minute interval, the beauties were serenaded by Mohan Singh doing a cover of a Bollywood song. Then it was time for the final question. While their competitors were taken out of the NCC and out of earshot, the ladies were, one at a time, asked the same question: “Technology makes life very convenient, but it is also being blamed for certain environmental problems. How do you propose to find a balance between technology and earth preservation?”
Of all the answers, the best came from Xamiera who took the time to touch on the positive and the negative sides of technology before stating how she would find a balance between technology and earth preservation. This answer won her the coveted crown.
The contestants picked up awards in the following categories: the Beauties For A Cause award went to Anita and Xamiera; in costume: Oriana (bronze), Akisha (silver) and Xamiera (gold); for eco-friendly: Xamiera (bronze), Gabriella (silver) and Luann (gold); for evening gown: Akisha (bronze), Luann (silver) and Xamiera (gold); in swimwear: Luann (bronze), Akisha (silver) and Xamiera (gold); in talent Gabriella took the bronze medal, Akisha silver and Xamiera gold. The People’s Choice Award went to Akisha.
The judges arrived at their decisions of the placements of the top four as 19% of pre-judging scores were added to them, and the queen would have received 1% from the People’s Choice Competition. Seventy percent of the score was tallied in regard to the preliminaries prior to the coronation night while the two Beauty For A Cause winners automatically received places in the top four. Except for the 19% of score belonging to the pre-judging category all other scores were wiped after the top four were announced.
Miss Guyana Earth and her court will share $1,000,000 in cash and prizes inclusive of a trip to Kaieteur Falls in August, bouquets, one-year ownership of title and crown, weekend stay, all-inclusive at the Aracari Resort, makeup sessions with Clinton Duncan, branding opportunities with sponsors, endorsement by international environmental agencies, beauty products and tokens among other prizes.
Xamiera will represent Guyana at the international leg of the pageant on November 3. The host country has not yet been announced.
The pageant was judged by Roshini Boodhoo-Persaud, Lawshana Prescott, Dr Kelsie Young, Fazil Rahaman, Stephanie Persaud and national director, Dave Persaud.
Sponsors DemBake, Caribbean Wind and Sun Inc, Aracari Hotel and Resort, Precise Printing and the Ministry of Social Cohesion were acknowledged.