By Staff
There are at least 20 young men in the Brewton area who are willing to do anything - and I do mean anything - to help their fellow man.
On Thursday, I was privileged enough to watch as 10 young men dressed up like women to raise money for Relay for Life at Pollard-McCall Junior High School.
I say I was privileged, but actually, I didn't realize what a privilege it was until after the show was over and “Miss McCall” was announced.
During the show, the 10 contestants performed a physical fitness routine with a beautifully choreographed number. Following the fitness portion of the competition, the “girls” donned their formal wear and paraded in front of the judges hoping for a chance at the title.
All the while, these contestants blew kisses to the judges and crowd and waved the royal wave in hopes of capturing the attention that would help them win the coveted title.
I laughed and shook my head in disbelief that these young men would go to such lengths for the competition. There were wigs of all colors, styles and lengths, stuffed dresses, high heels, makeup and painted nails on the contestants.
Now, what 13- or 14-year-old young men do you know that would do that for any reason? I was quite amazed and amused at the whole event.
If you'd like to see some of what I saw, be sure to pick up Wednesday's edition of The Brewton Standard.
To make the week even more interesting, I was also able to see a group of older men prepare for an event similar to the one at Pollard-McCall.
College-age men gathered in the faculty lounge on Friday afternoon for a dress fitting in anticipation of the upcoming Womanless Beauty Pageant at Jefferson Davis Community College.
Lyn Gill, an instructor at the college and sponsor of the Honors Program at the school, worked with the contestants to help choose just the right dress for the pageant.
What a hoot! There were giggles and groans from the men, but smiles were what I noticed most.
Why, oh why, would they subject themselves to the things women have been forced to do for years?
The reason for the involvement of all of these young men - at Pollard-McCall and JDCC - is admirable.
All money raised from the two pageants will be donated to the Relay for Life event coming in April.
These young men, along with those responsible for coordinating the events, are all working to help you and me.
The money raised from Relay for Life and similar events goes toward helping with research and possible cures for cancer - a disease that has touched far too many lives in our small community.
I hope that you and your loved ones never have the need for anything discovered through that research. My prayer is that my family and yours will be cancer-free throughout our lives. However, with the odds in the world of medicine, that's not likely to happen.
Because of that, I hope that you will consider supporting events like the one held at Pollard-McCall school on Thursday night and the upcoming event at Jefferson Davis Community College this Friday. Support at those events could help with treatments and possible cures if you should ever face the scourge of cancer in your family.
By putting on a dress, a wig and makeup, these young men may be giving you an opportunity for a good time now and a cancer-free life tomorrow.
Lisa Tindell is the news editor for The Brewton Standard. She can be reached by email at lisa.tindell@brewtonstandard.com.