On Saturday, November 25th, the San Pedro High School (SPHS) started an annual tradition dubbed La Reina de la Banda. The first pageant of its kind saw five participants delighting in a packed Angel Nuñez Auditorium along with several dance performances. They all competed for the coveted title, but in the end, it was Zsapphirrah Coleman who claimed the crown as the first SPHS’s Reina de la Banda 2023-2024.
The first annual pageant was created as one of the fundraisers for the SPHS Marching Band, which is planning to participate and represent the island at next year’s national band fest. The school also created a GoFundMe account to continue raising funds. Online donations can be made at https://shorturl.at/nyPW9
The pageant started shortly after 6PM with Masters of Ceremonies Ariel Smith and Patricia Greif welcoming everyone to the first edition of the new event. The judges, Vivian Noralez, Virginia Vasquez, Kimberly Robateau, and Natasha Stuart, were introduced and thanked for taking the arduous job of judging. Band Chairlady Kyna Cal spoke about the importance of the pageant and the rules governing it. The pageant was a fundraiser; thus, each participant was assigned a box in which supporters could make monetary contributions. The participants with the most contributions would become La Reina de la Banda.
Afterward, the five contestants, Zsapphirrah Coleman, Angelina Worthington, Lorena Fitzzibbon, Miley Chi, and Kristen Guerra, stepped onto the stage with an introductory dance. They each introduced themselves and then retreated to the locker room to prepare for their first segment. While the candidates prepared, a series of presentations entertained the audience. These included raffles, and cultural dances by groups such as the Muñoz Expressive Arts dance class, SPHS Dance Academy, and Cal’s Expressive Arts dance class.
In the first segment, contestants appeared in stunning cultural attire dancing to cultural Belizean music. The crowd cheered for their favorite delegate, as they modeled and danced. After an intermission filled with more dance performances, the second segment saw the beautiful participants modeling their Band Wear. This part of the pageant included a performance by the SPHS Marching Band. This was followed by more dance presentations on stage and a break.
The last two segments increased the high energy on stage as the girls changed into their Talent and Evening Gown attire. Immediately after the last segment, the distribution of minor awards began. Claiming three of the prizes, Miss Social Media, Miss Eloquence, and Miss Band Wear was candidate Angelina Worthington. The award for Miss Talented went to participant Kristen Guerra.
The top prizes were next, and the second runner-up was candidate Miley Chi, and first-runner up was participant Angelina Worthington. The grand prize and crown of Reina de la Banda went to Zsapphirrah Coleman amidst cheers and much fanfare. Coleman was sashed and received the crown by one of the judges, Noralez. Miss San Pedro Mariel Calderon was also present and congratulated all the participants and crowned Reina de la Banda.
Organizers deemed the pageant a success and sent a BIG thank you to all the sponsors that made the event possible. A special thank you also went to everyone who attended the event and invited them to support the pageant next year. Organizers also congratulated all participants and their Queen, the SPHS Marching Band’s beauty ambassador.
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