35th Annual WESA Pageant
Saturday, June 1st, 2024
Presented by
The WESA Pageant is a popular fundraising event each year that focuses on our sponsors and a chance for our members to explore their stage persona, all the while raising funds and awareness of cause in our community. One member from a WESA team volunteers to be the team's Pagent Contestant and puts together a persona and routine with the help of their team mates. The WESA Pagent is a major event on the summer calendar in the West End.
This year, we are celebrating our 35th WESA Pageant with more than 15 contestants at Diamond Sponsor Celebrities Nightclub on Saturday the 1st of June. Our community partner is HIM (more).
Pageant History
The “Miss WESA Baseball Beauty Pageant”, as it was known back in 1987, was the brainchild of three WESA Members: Mark Sullivan, Gregg Welliver, and Art Gullett; who all played on the Celebrities Nightclub baseball team that season. They got together to plan a league party at their new sponsor's place of business and the initial concept was to put on a simple Drag Show. But it evolved into asking each team in the league to put up a contestant to compete in a swimsuit, evening gown/talent, and skill testing question competition. Needless to say, it was a big hit and THE WESA PAGEANT, as it is now known (updated in 2008 to recognize that our membership represents variety of gorgeous and diverse backgrounds), was born.
The formula was simple: each team in the league solicited a candidate to represent them in the WESA PAGEANT. The contestant was usually a "Rookie" player to the league (however, over the years some softball players have entered multiple times trying to win the coveted title!) Contestants would participate in swimsuit competition where they would wear a Team Sash—sometimes elaborate sashes have been made by the teams to support their candidate and promote their team sponsor. Contestants would then perform a number which was judged for originality, lip-sync, costume, and audience reaction. Three finalists would be selected to which a skill testing question asked to each to add to their point totals. The judges would tabulate final scores and select the 2nd Runner Up, a 1st Runner Up, and the Winner of the Pageant who becomes Miss / Mister / Mx WESA for the season! The only expectation is that the Winner returns the following season to perform a step-down number and help to crown the new Winner.
The original 1987 crown for Miss WESA was a cardboard creation, made by an elementary class in Surrey taught by one of the WESA members. Since then many crown creations have been crafted with some type of “softball” theme.
There have also been a variety of hosts for the WESA PAGEANT including a number of current and past WESA members: Sydney Malcolm, Pat King, Art Gullett, and Lance Sandover, have hosted multiple times. The original Pageant Host, Mr. Bill Monroe, hosted for several years from when the Pageant first started. Other Special Event Commissioners and local celebrity Drag Queens have also done the honours.
The WESA PAGEANT has become a major community event and WESA’s signature marquee fundraiser from what started as a simple evening of fun for some softball players. Over the past 35 years, the WESA Pageant has raised and donated over $157,000 to more than 30 LGBT+ community organizations and charities.
For a history of our WESA Pageant winners, please visit our Awards page.
Some pics from the WESA 2024 Pageant audience ...
See you at the 36th WESA Pageant in 2025
Sponsors
