Once competitors, Miss Virginia Adrianna Sgarlata and Caressa Cameron are good friends. COURTESY OF EVERGREEN CHURCH

Pageant winners to discuss teamwork and faith

By NATASHA ALTAMIRANO

Date published: 9/30/2006

By NATASHA ALTAMIRANO

Pageants aren't all about smiles and swimsuits, gowns and glamour.

They're about scholarship opportunities and platforms for change.

They're also about teamwork and faith, which is why Evergreen Church in Spotsylvania County will host an unlikely pair of guest speakers at worship services tomorrow morning: Miss Virginia Adrianna Sgarlata and Miss Greater Springfield Caressa Cameron, second runner-up in the state competition.

The Rev. Scott Roberts, senior pastor of Evergreen Church, invited the friends and former competitors to wrap up the church's lecture series on teamwork.

"I think God gives us all gifts and abilities and that we should take whatever opportunity we have with those gifts and abilities to glorify God," said Roberts, who attended the state competition in Roanoke in June to support the young women. "Being Christians--being sisters in Christ--is more important to them than winning or losing a pageant."

Cameron, 19, lives in Spotsylvania County and attends Evergreen Church.

"It doesn't matter who wins or who loses because you're both there for the same reason and you know that person is going to make a positive impact on the state," said Cameron, who won the 2005 Miss Fredericksburg Fair pageant.

Cameron's platform, or issue of awareness, is HIV and AIDS education.

Sgarlata's platform is behaving respectfully and valuing others, which includes lessons on prevention of bullying, violence and Internet safety.

"I believe that everything in our lives happens for a reason," said Sgarlata, 23. "I believe I won Miss Virginia for a reason, and I think that reason is so I can help children and adults respect differences in others.

"It's important that people learn that everyone in this world is not the same," the Fairfax County resident added. "They're not going to have the same religion. They're not going to have the same smile. They're not going to have the same skin color."

Pageants aren't as cutthroat and drama-filled as they're portrayed in Hollywood, Cameron said.

At the Miss Virginia 2006 pageant last June, Sgarlata's swimsuit was damaged, so Cameron offered to lend her competitor an extra swimsuit.

"It's a lot more fun when you're making it that far with someone you like--when they call top 10 and both of you guys are still there, and they call top five and both of you are there, and they call top three and both of you are there," said Cameron, a student at Germanna Community College.

Evergreen Church is located at 11903 Bowman Drive. Worship services are held at 9 and 11 a.m.

For more information, call 540/370-0565.

To reach NATASHA ALTAMIRANO:540/368-5036
Email: naltamirano@freelancestar.com

Date published: 9/30/2006