Events for
Miss South Pacific slated for Oct. 19-25 in AS
by Fili Sagapolutele
Samoa News Correspondent
Host country
American Samoa has confirmed dates for the week-long Miss South
Pacific pageant this year in October.
Local efforts
are being spearheaded by the Department of Commerce, whose director
Faleseu Eliu Paopao chairs the organizing committee.
American Samoa
was awarded host country during last November's meeting of the
Miss South Pacific Inc., board of directors, held in Apia, Samoa.
Faleseu recently
informed Member of Parliament Misa Telefoni Retzlaff, chairman
of the Miss South Pacific board and board members from the 13-member
island nations that this year's week long pageant is set for
Oct. 19-25.
The actual Miss
South Pacific pageant will take place the evening of Oct. 24
at the Lee Auditorium.
The pageant is
set for a Friday night to allow contestants from other Pacific
islands to depart Saturday night for their connecting flights
out of Samoa to their home countries.
Reigning Miss
South Pacific, twenty-year old Tessi Leila Toluta'u of Tonga,
will relinquish her title this year.
Besides American
Samoa, other member countries who have confirmed sending a contestant
is Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Cook Islands, Tonga and Niue.
The organizing
committee is putting together activities for the week-long festival
and are working on the monetary prizes for the pageant. Samoa
News understands that the committee is aiming for the same prizes
as the 2004 Pageant, also hosted by American Samoa, where the
winner received $5,000.
As host country,
American Samoa must provide seven days of accommodations and
meals for the contestants and their chaperones and pay for all
local transportation expenses.
DOC wishes to
request the community's assistance in "giving a helping
hand" in efforts to host this last event for 2008. Should
anyone wish to help out or to provide donations, please contact
the DOC branch office at Lions Park in Tafuna (the current home
of the Office of Tourism).
Hosting the pageant
is also in line with American Samoa hosting the 10th Pacific
Arts Festival this year, which runs from July 20 to Aug. 2, 2008.
Reach the
reporter at fili@samoanews.com.
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