By Lisa Schick

Pageantry in Prince Albert

Apr 2, 2011 | 7:19 AM

A Prince Albert girl has taken the first step in the biggest beauty pageant in Canada

Fourteen year-old, Melissa Menzies has been accepted into the Miss. Teen Saskatchewan pageant.

“I wanted to go into the pageant because I thought it would be a great experience and a lot of fun,” said Menzies.

Menzies said she is very excited, but is also getting nervous for the pageant which is only two weeks away.

Menzies’ mother, Nicole Rancourt, said she thinks the pageant will be a good learning opportunity.

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“I definitely think it’s going to be a good experience for her, right now she’s learning (about) having to start up the fundraising, and contact people, and work at raising this money, showing her the hard work that it takes,” said Rancourt.

“It’s going to teach her how to represent herself and (how) to be a role model for other youth in the community.”

Menzies is very involved at school and in the community – Rancourt said she takes part in all the sports at school, was a member of the Toppers volleyball team and has been a dancer for many years.

She found out she had been accepted into the pageant on Mar. 26, and Menzies and her mother have started planning.

They have already started fundraising for the pageant entry fee, $700, and for a local charity as part of the entry rules.

Menzies said she picked Children’s Haven as her charity because she feels it’s a good cause, “they do lots of things for children.”

The pageant in Saskatoon involves an evening gown completion, bathing suit competition and a question and answer portion.

Menzies said they’re still looking for the evening gown, but she has a pretty good idea of what she wants.

This is Menzies’ first beauty pageant, but she said if she has a good experience here she will continue competing.

The pageant is geared toward amateurs – it includes coaching and workshops in many aspects of the pageantry.

Six girls will be crowned Miss Teen Saskatchewan and will go to the national pageant in Toronto in July.

The Miss Teen Saskatchewan pageant takes place in Saskatoon, Apr. 9 & 10.

lschick@panow.com