Little Miss Pink Petals Pageant

Addisyn Bivens

BY RAVEN JOY SHONEL, Staff Writer

ST. PETERSBURG –  The Zeta Upsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. held their biennial Pink Petals Pageant last Saturday, Oct. 22 in the auditorium of Lakewood High School.

As parents eagerly waited for their little girls to gracefully glide across the stage, Co-Chair Jenee Skipper stood behind the curtain giving them a last minute shot of self-esteem to chase the butterflies away.

“The pageant provides an opportunity for little girls ages 5 – 10 to make friends and participate in activities that focus on academic success, skills in communications, team building, public speaking, as well as promote self-esteem,” said pageant Chair Crystal L. Pruitt.

Desiree Roberts, former AKA AKAdemy Exquisite Gem and current talent acquisition at Hilton Grand Vacations in Orlando, acted as Mistress of Ceremony for the evening.

“Our purpose tonight is to showcase 10 beautiful young girls in the St. Petersburg community who are on track to becoming our future leaders,” said Roberts. “This experience tonight is priceless and will always be remembered by each of these young ladies.”

And how could they forget the adulation and cheers streaming from the audience, especially when the little ones performed dance numbers or recited poems from memory.

Funds generated from the pageant helps support many of the local chapter’s program initiatives, including their Junior Artist, Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds and Money Sense programs, as well as academic preparation and scholarships.

The AKAs will also use these funds to support the St. Petersburg community through donations to several agencies, such as the American Cancer Society, the Sickle Cell Disease Association, NAACP, Community Action Stops Abuse, Enoch Davis Center, the James B. Sanderlin Center and the United Negro College Fund, to name a few.

“We are so very proud of our petals this year. They did an amazing job.  The pageant aims to provide each participant and their families a rewarding experience via a host of activities that promote teamwork, academic achievement, creative talent, healthy living and community service,” concluded Pruitt

This year’s winners:

Miss Rosa – Addisyn Bivens

Miss Tea Rose – Lilliana Ward

Miss Rosebud – Emersen Jackson

2016 Little Miss Pink Petals – Morgan McKinney

“Thanks to the parents for allowing your little ones to participate in this experience,” chapter President Cassandra William said, asking all the parents to stand and be recognized.