All welcomed at 7th Good Old Days pageant
MISS TEEN Saint Ignatius Sonya Brooks (center), Miss Good Old Days Sasha Traver from Three Forks (right), and first runner-up Miss Good Ole Days Sajada Lee (left). (Courtesy photo by Caroline Roesch)
Children of all ages and abilities were welcomed onto the stage and into the lights for the 7th Good Old Days pageant last weekend, with a 1970s theme.
One girl performed the entire pageant on roller skates. A toddler showed off her recently discovered talent of walking on her own two adorable feet. Contestants included those who were autistic, deaf, blind, and suffer from severe anxiety and depression. The contest drew many local children as well as several from across Montana that arrived Saturday in St. Ignatius.
All of them sparkled and shined as they paraded their talents, ‘70s outfits, and formal wear, and everyone went home with big memories. Awards were given for every age and many sub categories, boys and girls, princes and princesses. Those who wished to ride on the pageant floats in the Good Old Days were allowed to do so the next day.
“This is not your normal glitz pageant,” said long-time supporter, Caroline Roesch, also the mom of a contestant. The annual Little Miss and Mister Good Old Days Pageant in St. Ignatius “celebrates the natural talent of our participants, encouraging their own self-expression,” she said.
Roesch is enthusiastic about the opportunity the pageant provides for children to gain experience maintaining poise under the pressure of the stage. “Over the years, those first boys and girls [in the 2013 pageant] developed confidence, integrity, creativity, clear communication skills and accountability. They inspire others by setting a good example,” she wrote in this year’s brochure.
Miss Teen Saint Ignatius and Miss Good Old Days participate in community service and local community events.
Olivia Grace Ruffatto, Harmony Bartell, and Nikkol Traver each received a one-day modeling workshop with professional photo shoot, valued at $295. Sajada Lee was the winner of a $1,200 modeling package which includes a 4-day modeling camp and photo shoot, Little Miss and Mister Good Old Days Modeling award and contract with RMEA. More than $2,000 in scholarships were donated to the contestants.
This year’s judges were Casey Pobran, owner, Rocky Mountain Entertainment Agency (RMEA) in Polson; Michelle Reimnitz, Mrs. Montana 2019; Jolynn Girsch, Miss Teen Saint Ignatius 2016-18; and Frankie Smith, Miss Good Old Days 2018.
The pageant was started in 2013 by Pam Thompson, who still directs it with help from her daughters. She is working to expand to provide pageants across the Mission Valley. For more photos, visit the “Little Mr and Miss Good Old Days” Facebook page.