Miss Big and Beautiful 2008 Grand FinaleLEFT: Georgeianna Alexander, Susan Borneo, Dionne Graham, Stacey Griffith & Salema Williams TriniView.com Reporters Event Date: August 31, 2008 Posted: September 10, 2008 CARIVOG International held the Grand Finale of their Trinidad and Tobago Miss Big and Beautiful Pageant at the Cascadia Ballroom in St. Anns, on Sunday 31st August, 2008. The Miss Big and Beautiful Lifestyle Challenge was held over four months and included six challenges aimed at developing the delegates: the Fashion Challenge, the Community Challenge, the Senior Citizen Challenge, the Talent Challenge and the Photo Challenge. Members of the public including friends and family of the delegates were present to cheer on the ladies. LEFT: Salema Williams, Georgeianna Alexander and Simara London Sheanna Alleyne, Managing Director of CARIVOG International, shared that this is the fifteenth year of the Miss Big and Beautiful show and the aim of the show is to project that women are women, who need to express themselves, no matter their size. Similarly, CARIVOG Director, Valerie Noriega described the Lifestyle Quest as being designed to propel the delegates beyond their comfort zone, towards greater confidence within all areas of life. Certainly, the audience thoroughly enjoyed the expressiveness of the Miss Big and Beautiful delegates. LEFT: Dionne Graham, Susan Borneo, Loreen Prescod and Leeanna Jerome The first delegate segment was the Swimsuit Segment where the eleven full figured ladies modelled swimsuits before the cheering audience as they introduced themselves. The ladies of the evening were Dionne Graham, Ayanna Augustus, Susan Borneo, Stacey Griffith, Loreen Prescod, Portia Smith, Leeanna Jerome, Ann Marie Thomas Warner, Salema Williams, Simara London and Georgeianna Alexander. Calypsonian Blackie serenades the delegates Calypsonian Blackie came to the stage to serenade the ladies as he belted out his Calypso in tribute to big women. The entertainment continued with singer Andew Prescott gracing the stage. Andrew Prescott gave a commanding performance of 'Beauty Is' in which he expressed that beauty comes from integrity and what you make of life. He was followed by the talented Condrington Pan Family who thrilled the audience with a couple of selections. Calypsonian Blackie serenades the delegates A video was shown to the audience with clippings from the various challenges following which the delegates came to the stage in their evening wear, where they connected with the audience sharing their thoughts on their participation in the 2008 Miss Big and Beautiful Lifestyle Quest. Many of them spoke glowingly of the positive effect of participating in the Miss Big and Beautiful Lifestyle Quest such as helping to develop self-confidence. Delegates and supporters Of the eleven delegates, seven were selected for the finals: Dionne Graham, Susan Borneo, Stacey Griffith, Loreen Prescod, Ann Marie Thomas Warner, Salema Williams and Georgeianna Alexander. These finalists all fielded questions from Mary Lou Ryan, a former Miss Big and Beautiful winner. When the results were announced it was somewhat confusing as there was no first, second and third place, as four women were selected as the winners to represent Trinidad and Tobago at various events in the United States and the Caribbean. These four winners were Dionne Graham, Stacey Griffith, Georgeianna Alexander and Susan Borneo. In addition, Dionne Graham won the Community Challenge Award, the Public Speaking and Interviewing Award and the Miss Overall Congeniality Award, while Leeanna Jerome took the Miss Photogenic Award. Also in winners row were Loreen Prescod who won the Senior Citizen Makeover Award and the Photo Challenge, Georgeianna Alexander who won the Miss Amity and Talent Challenge Awards, Salema Williams who won the Fashion Challenge Award, Susan Borneo who won the Most Improved Delegate Award and Ann Marie Thomas Warner who won the Leadership Award. Miss Big and Beautiful 2008 in pictures: www.triniview.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=284749 |