Miss USA pageant participants explore Las Vegas, meet the locals
When the contestants in the 2009 Miss USA pageant take the stage this evening for the competition’s finals, they’ll do it with a good deal of insight into Southern Nevada.
That’s because, for the past two weeks, the contestants have explored Southern Nevada from the Strip to the Liberace Museum to Red Rock Canyon, and have met everybody from cancer patients and their families at Nevada Cancer Institute to participants in the Best Buddies Nevada program.
It was the latter that brought them to Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile shops last weekend. There they paired up with members of Best Buddies Nevada for a walk to raise awareness of Best Buddies, which fosters friendships between middle school, high school and college students and persons with intellectual disabilities.
Miss Ohio Natasha Vivoda was only one of the Miss USA contestants who found such events particularly fun. But, throughout her stay, she added, Las Vegans have been "so welcoming."
The time they spent exploring the valley even altered a few preconceptions some contestants held.
One of Miss Michigan Lindsey Tycholiz’s personal highlights was visiting Red Rock Canyon and seeing "some of the natural surroundings" most tourists probably "don’t really think about."
The region’s diversity also appealed to Miss Connecticut Monica Pietrzak. Even in the midst of a hectic stay, "going off to the canyon is so relaxing," she says.
Pietrzak admits she expected Las Vegas to be "crazy and action-packed the whole time. When we went out to do that, it totally changed my perception." Pietrzak particularly enjoyed the chance she has had to participate in such charitable events as the Best Buddies walk.
"We work a lot with (nonprofit) organizations at home," she says, but events like the walk were "a chance for us to be able to see what’s really going in the community."
At least they had a knowledgeable, if unofficial, guide during their stay.
"I was born and raised here, so this really is my city," says Miss Nevada Georgina Vaughan.
Over the past two weeks, "we’d be on the bus and I’ll be, ‘Over here, this is where I grocery shop,’ ” Vaughan says, laughing. "And they’re like, ‘Wow, you really are the official tour guide.’ "
Contact reporter John Przybys at jprzybys@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0280.