With due respect to the miss universe bound Leilah Pandy; we'll bet that if given the choice between seeing the Miss Belize Pageant or the Miss Y Pageant most of you would choose Miss Y. And why is that? The bottom line is that audiences flock to Miss Y because it is a real show: real entertainment with gutsy gals putting it all on the line.
Every year, remarkable women in the full of their years take the stage to fearlessly and freely entertain. We visited with this year's crop of older gals who are foot loose and fancy free.
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
Their pace may not be brisk, their timing a bit off cue but these six ladies ranging in age form 60 to 86 more than make up for it with the energy that they put into the Miss Y competition. They say that they don't mind the outing and fanfare especially because it is fundraising for a very, very worthy cause.
Cynthia Waters, Miss Y Contestant
"It's something very good and it is for a worthy cause and it is to help the young people."
Melie Tyler, Miss Y Contestant
"I was instigated by my niece last year but I wasn't quite 60 yet but most of all I am doing it to help the Y with their fundraising. It is their biggest fundraising for the year so I am happy to be part of that fundraising."
Adriana Baltazar, Miss Y Contestant
"I like to volunteer and when I was asked to come and be a part of this show I was happy to do so because I like to volunteer."
Glenda Ferguson, Miss Y Contestant
"I am a part of this pageant to help raise funds for the YWCA."
Catherine Flowers, Miss Y Contestant
"The Y is a place that teaches the young school leavers, pre-school, and other things and we need fundraising activities you know we need financing to support the Y so by doing this pageant it will help."
And that fund raising drive will see these seenagers grace the stage shaking the old bones and demonstrating everything from the making of cassava bread to dances of the old forgotten Belizean East Indians.
Adriana Baltazar,
"I'll let the audience know how to make cassava bread because I know there are a lot of people who eat Cassava bread but they don't know how it is make it so I want to demonstrate it on that night."
Catherine Flowers,
"I'll be doing an Indian dance because for too long my culture seems to be left out and we never think or thought about the fact that the East Indians have a culture so I will be doing that.
Syrian Hall, Miss Y Contestant
"Try to make them happy. That's all."
Alfonso Noble,
"So at 86 you still think you can make somebody happy?"
Syrian Hall,
"Exactly."
Lauren Burgess, Miss Y Pageant Host
"They have to look out for a wonderful show you know jokes, items, the pre-school kids will be performing and they are some wonderful contestants with the oldest one 86."
And that atmosphere of general good fun is what these ladies are all about as they say that no matter how many years are taken off the calendar age is nothing but a number.
Melie Tyler,
"My mom always say only your clothes get old so I guess you are as old as you think you are but if you continue to do thinks and make your mind and yourself active there is no such thing as old age it is just a number. So I would advise everyone not because you have numbers growing on you should sit down and look."
Glenda Ferguson,
"I am 70 and I can run, I can ride bicycles, and I can walk 4 miles and come back."
Syrian Hall,
"I want to be a part of things that keep me up so I don't feel that dead way. Never mind your age because you can still take part in different things. As long as you feel strong you can go ahead."
Catherine Flowers,
"We are here, we are active and we think we can do it all."
"I like to tell those people that nobody is old because the young people like to say old but I think when you die then you get old."
Adriana Baltazar,
"I know the age is catching up on me but I don't allow myself to give up. Maybe when I cannot do it anymore my body will let me know that I cannot go anymore."
And since that signal has not come for any of these ladies on Friday they'll have a rich display of talent all in the Miss Y tradition.
The Miss Y pageant takes place tomorrow night.
7NEWS produced for broadcast by News Director Jules Vasquez
Edited for the internet by Keith Swift