ST. GEORGE —An upcoming event in Salt Lake City will provide opportunities for women and girls with disabilities across Utah to build self-esteem and showcase their talents. One of the contestants, a St. George woman, will take the stage for the third time.

The self-advocacy event titled, “Utah Miss Amazing,” gives women and girls with disabilities the ability to perform in a pageant-type setting. The event is fully funded by donations and run by non-paid volunteers from all over the state.

Rachel Halgren, a St. George mother, and her special needs daughter, Mary Halgren, 18, will be entering the upcoming Miss Utah Amazing for the third time.

“I’m the biggest singing star,” Mary Halgren, who looked excited to be a part of the interview, told St. George News.

Rachel Halgren said this is event is about much more than just looking pretty on the stage, adding that girls who enter Utah Miss Amazing come from all different abilities.

Some are nonverbal, in wheelchairs, physically handicapped, mentally handicapped, have talking devices, need interpreters and others are pretty independent – like her daughter, she said.

“It’s all completely free for the girls that enter,” she said. “In the end, every girl gets a crown, a sash, some kind of award. It’s really neat for everyone involved.”

During the event, each Utah Miss Amazing contestant will have the option to do an interview section, a talent section and a walk showcasing their dresses, she added.

“The girls have the opportunity to do anything from singing to dancing,” she said of the talent portion of the show. “Some are cheerleaders, some play instruments, some show their artwork, some do a presentation on a charity with projects they’re a part of. It really is amazing.”

Each girl that enters the pageant is assigned a personal “buddy.” And these “buddies” are volunteers who often have extensive experience in the pageant world. 

“They buddy and shadow the girls all day, and they help take them from place to place,” she said. “They help them eat, get dressed, prep for the show, practice and more.”

About ‘Miss Amazing’

According to the Miss Amazing website, its mission is to ensure equal opportunities for girls with disabilities to build self-esteem while engaging with every level of society to dismantle stereotypes and open up pathways for personal growth.

The website also states that because there are widely-held myths about capabilities, girls with disabilities are often held back from taking risks that could enrich their personal development, deprived of opportunities to make friends and granted less access to resources. The purpose of the Miss Amazing event is to create opportunities for girls with disabilities that reflect their boundless potential.

Imari MacKay, state director for the Utah chapter of Miss Amazing, told St. George News that the Utah chapter began in 2012. She said that Jordan Somer, CEO of Miss Amazing, started the event when she was only 13, after being a part of pageants for years and seeing the need for those with disabilities to have equal opportunities. 

MacKay said they receive monetary donations that help secure the venue as well as crowns, sashes and trophies. And while some people may feel that the event should save money by not presenting awards, she said there are reasons why the awards exist.

“A lot of these girls don’t get the opportunity to participate in things where they would get an award. Watching them get an award and get on stage is incredible,” MacKay said. “The awards are so important.”

Each participant receives both a T-shirt and swag bag. Most items that are included in the swag bag are donated by the community. MacKay said that some girls show up to the event feeling nervous and the items in these include things to help the girls feel more at ease and have fun.

“It takes a lot of volunteer work to bring this together. All hands on deck. So much time and items are donated,” said Rachel Halgren, adding that she, herself has signed up to be a volunteer makeup artist for this year’s event.

MacKay told St. George News that they are always in need of volunteers for every aspect of the event, including hair and makeup, which they are particularly short on this year.

She said that volunteer “buddies” come from all over the state with different experiences and that not all of them have ties to the special needs community. The only volunteer requirement is a kind heart with a willingness to help.

MacKay has extended both the deadlines to register as a participant for Utah Miss Amazing and the ability to sign up as a volunteer to Monday.

For volunteer and participant applications along with the opportunity to donate, visit the Miss Amazing website here.

Event details

• What: Utah Miss Amazing
• When: Saturday, May 7, at 2 p.m.
• Where: Venue 6SIX9, 669 S. W Temple Salt Lake City
• Admission: $9
• More information and tickets: Website

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