CARIBOU, Maine — Well over a hundred fans gathered at the Caribou Performing Arts Center on Saturday night to watch the Pre-Teen, Junior, and Teen Miss Caribou Pageant, a preliminary event for the Potato Blossom contest in July.
Sponsored by seven local businesses, the show highlighted the talents of ten girls as well as last year’s winners. Pageant directors Amy Hunter and Amber Moutinho worked with numerous volunteers to ensure the event’s success, with Hunter acting as the master of ceremonies and Moutinho working backstage with contestants and crew between each performance.
After the introduction, talent, and gown portions of the show, judges named the winners of two special categories: most tickets sold and ‘Miss Congeniality.”
Hunter told the crowd that Miss Teen Caribou contestant Kearstin Coty won the award for “most tickets sold” by just one ticket. The MC also explained that Junior Miss Caribou contestant Libby Collier was selected by her fellow contestants to be “Miss Congeniality.” The contestants voted on the award during dress rehearsal, describing Collier as the “most kind, helpful, and fun to be around.”
Allie White sings “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus during a March 3 pageant at the Caribou Performing Arts Center. (Christopher Bouchard)
Next, the crowd erupted as Hunter announced the night’s three big winners: Lauren Lister as Pre-Teen Miss Caribou, Naomi Cote as Junior Miss Caribou, and Kearstin Coty as Teen Miss Caribou.
The runners-up spot were Allie White for Pre-Teen Miss Caribou, Kallee Parent for Junior Miss Caribou, and MacKenna Smith for Teen Miss Caribou. In the event that any of the crowned contestants are unable to perform in the future, the runners-up will assume their role.
Alana Margeson, Erica Gove-Raymond, and Teresa Herold judged the competitors through the main talent portion of the event and a gown walk. Each contestant also gave a brief monologue at the beginning of the pageant, answering a question that coincided with the “Step into the Enchanted Forest” theme of the night. Auditors, responsible for tallying up the final results, were Lisa Milliard and Laurie Christie.
During the question portion of the competition, Hunter introduced the ten girls and asked them what they would wish for if they encountered a wishing well in an enchanted forest. While many answers differed, a running theme among many of the girls was to eliminate cancer.
“My wish would be for a cure for cancer,” said 9-year-old pre-teen division contestant Myniah Shaw, “because it hurts everybody.”
Allie White, an 11-year-old pre-teen contestant, also wished to rid the world of the horrific disease.
“Close your eyes and imagine a world where we no longer have to fear the word cancer,” White said, “a world in which the word cure has an actual guarantee, a world where we no longer have to watch our loved ones suffer, a world in which teenagers, adults, and the elderly are no longer part of the statistic. That is a world I would one day love to be a part of.
Lauren Lister, 10, of the pre-teen division wished to win the lottery, so she could “give that money to people with cancer,” in part because she knows a lot of people with the disease who could use the help.
Charlotte Plourde sings, and tap dances to, the song “Try Everything” from the movie “Zootopia,” during a March 3 pageant at the Caribou Performing Arts Center. (Christopher Bouchard)
Junior contestant Naomi Cote, 13, also wished for a cure for cancer.
“Thinking of one wish wouldn’t be that hard for me,” Cote said. “My pepere died of skin cancer when my dad was only 10; a family friend, and active member of our church, recently died of lymphoma. Both of these caused many people to feel pain, and I know I’m not the only one who has endured the loss of someone they love to the dreadful battle. That’s why I would wish for a cure for cancer.”
Pre-teen contestant Charlotte Plourde, 9, wished for “more music and art classes” in schools, adding that she expresses herself via music and art, and that they are “both a fun and easy way to learn.”
Madelyn Cote, a 10-year-old pre-teen contestant, said she would “absolutely wish for another puppy.”
“Not just any puppy,” she continued, “a roly-poly butterball bulldog that I could have. She would be perfect for my Beagle Piper. She’s very busy, we call her Hyper Piper. If I could have any wish, it would be for another puppy. You know, for Piper.”
Kallee Parent, 12, of the junior division said she would wish “to win a shopping spree to Sephora,” a cosmetics store.
“Mascara, lipstick, and blushes, oh my,” she said. “Every time I go to Bangor, I get something new for my collection. In my spare time, I enjoy watching makeup tutorials on YouTube. When I’m having a bad day, a little contour and highlight can always cheer it up.”
Libby Collier, a 12-year-old Junior contestant, said she would like to end hunger in her community.
“I have always been told, whether it’s a birthday cake, wishing well, or shooting star, that if you share your wish, it will never come true,” she said. “I believe goals are wishes with a plan, and sitting around hoping is not good enough. Did you know one of four children in Aroostook County are food insecure? My wish is that no child will wonder where their next meal is coming from. My plan is to have food drives and spread awareness. My goal is to end hunger right here in our community.”
MacKenna Smith, 16, of the teen division, wished to see “all the great wonders of the world.”
Myniah Shaw performs “Better When I’m Dancing” by Meghan Trainor during the March 3 Pageant at the Caribou Performing Arts Center. (Christopher Bouchard)
“I love learning about history and architecture,” Smith said, “so getting a chance to see them would be truly amazing. I really want to take a picture of me holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and a shopping trip in Paris would be a dream come true.”
Kearstin Coty, a 15-year-old teen division contestant, wished for world peace.
“After long, hard days of work, many of us go home and turn on the news,” she said. “We are always faced with the same sad stories. Violence, crime, and tragedies worldwide. When you advance technology, we are more aware of what goes on in the world today. Crime rates in many countries have skyrocketed over the past 20 years. My one wish would be to see the world become a more peaceful place for humans to live and thrive.”
The event also featured performances from 2017 Pre-Teen Miss Caribou Laura Plourde, Junior Miss Caribou Mariena St. Peter, Little Miss Caribou Makenzie Cole, and Miss Caribou Sheridan Blackstone.
(Photos by Christopher Bouchard)
