By Kellah Lavoie

Menzies heads to national pageant

Jul 5, 2011 | 6:31 AM

Melissa Menzies beams as she describes the dress she will wear at the Miss Teen Canada World Competition in Toronto.

She will don her sequined black, red and silver gown during the competition that starts on Saturday and runs until July 16.

The 14-year-old said it`s been challenging getting to this point.

“We had to raise $400 for Free the Children charity and then we also had to get out and about and get to know people and encourage people to know what we are and what we do,” she said.

“I think it’s going to be tough because there are 76 girls and there’s only one person that moves on.”
Some of the competitions involved are talent, gown, an interview and public speaking about a platform of their choice – Menzies chose teen suicide.

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“Suicide is a really high risk in the north of Saskatchewan,” she said explaining why she chose the topic.

The Prince Albert girl has been sizing up her competition. She said she has met the other eight from Saskatchewan, and as for the other 67, she “stalked them on Facebook.”

The competition will be fierce.

“Lots of people have model experience and it is my first time doing it,” she said, adding she will be one of the younger ones since the competition is open for girls aged 13-19.

Menzies is going into Grade 9 at Carlton in the fall. She is involved in volleyball, basketball and has been a dancer for nine years. She also volunteers at the Victoria Hospital.

She said she doesn’t plan on entering again.

“It’s kind of a one-time deal, but it would be cool to do it again because then you know what kind of things happen,” she said.

“I will do my best and go as far as I can.”

To help support Menzies you can vote for her staring Saturday. Go to missteencanadaworld.com. The girl with the most votes automatically makes it to the top 20.

The winner heads to Texas two weeks later to compete in the Miss Teen World competition.

klavoie@panow.com