Charlestown, Nevis, September 18, 2019 (DBSKN) — The St. Thomas’ Primary School courtyard in Nevis will this evening, Wednesday September 18, be the venue of the highly anticipated Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis-sponsored St. Thomas Teen Festival Talented Teen Pageant where five beauties will be out to take the crown from the outgoing STT Fest Talented Teen Queen, Miss Sidondre Flemming.
Contestant number 1, Miss Shamarley Newton; Contestant number 2, Miss Shadiah Mitchell; Contestant number 3, Miss Shantell Leslie; Contestant number 4, Miss Chalisa Parris; and Contestant number 5, Miss Diquania Williams, have been preparing and practising for quite some time to ensure that after the show, which starts at 8 pm, is over that they will be the 2019/20 STT Fest Talented Teen Queen.
The contestant were revealed recently by Ms Denesia Smithen, Community Development Officer for St. Thomas, when she accompanied Ms Tamara Farrell, Chairperson of the St. Thomas Parish Festival Committee, to the Nevis branch of the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis to collect sponsorship cheque for the event whose quality has been described to be equal to, if not surpassing, the Miss Culture Pageant.
According to Ms Farrell, the festival started a few years back first as a village event, Cotton-rama, to cater for the Cotton Ground community in the St. Thomas Parish of Nevis. However, due to its popularity and with requests from the other villages in the parish, it graduated to be a parish festival. But after some lapses, it was revived in 2015 and has been running strong ever since.
“The festival was started as a means to get the community together, in a positive atmosphere and to encourage the young and old alike to take part in the festival, and to also fundraise to help the community centres and schools in the Parish and to interact with the police,” noted Festival Chairperson Ms Tamara Farrell.
While handing over the bank’s sponsorship cheque, Customer Service Representative at the Nevis Branch of the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis, Ms Leonica Prentice, said that the Development Bank traditionally supports the country’s youth and was glad to come on board as the main sponsor of the STT Fest Talented Teen Pageant.
“Our youth are the future of this country, and they need the support of every one for them to grow up well positioned to take up any leadership roles that will come their way,” said Ms Prentice. “Today these young girls are taking part in a parish pageant, but tomorrow they will be contestants in the Miss Culture, or even Miss National Carnival pageants – sky is the limit for them. All should support them by attending the pageant this evening.”
