Josh Rodriguez crowned Mr. SHS

Mr. SHS Josh Rodriguez and Lindsay Whent. Photo by Rongi Yost

Josh Rodriguez earned the crown as Mr. SHS 2003 in the annual pageant held at the Sisters High School Cafetorium last weekend.

A choreographed "lip sync" kicked off the fourth annual event.

The three-hour-plus pageant was full of fun and entertainment as the audience enjoyed 12 of Sisters High School's finest young men showcase their special talents.

Entertainment varied from contestants singing original songs or playing original pieces on the piano and saxophone. The crowd was also wowed by stand up comics and even a magician performing several magic tricks.

Following a brief intermission the audience enjoyed a Prom Fashion Preview. The young men modeled tuxedoes that were donated for the evening by Bend Wedding and Formal and Roberts on Wall St. Suzies on the Corner and Finders Keepers provided the gowns worn by the escorts and Suzies provided all the jewelry and accessories for the evening.

Judges tallied the points and narrowed the choice for Mr. SHS down to five. The final five contestants were Josh Rodriguez, Justin Thomas, Jacob Crowder, C.J. Adams and Lucas Denzer.

In the final segment of the pageant each contestant was asked the same question: "Why do you think you should be chosen to be Mr. SHS?"

Jacob Crowder was second runner up; Lucas Denzer was first runner up and Josh Rodriguez was announced the winner.

"I was pretty surprised ," Rodriguez said. "I had a lot of fun and it will be a memorable event. It didn't seem like such a chore (all the practice, and the interviews under a spotlight) when you think about where the money is going."

The pageant is a fund-raiser for Dornbecher Children's Hospital.

Rodriguez's escort, Lindsay Whent said, "I can't think of a better person to represent our school."

The profits made from the event totaled $1,600, $600 more than what was raised the last three years.

Leadership advisor Michelle Herron said, "The dollies made the difference. Pictures of little dollies were bought by friends and family to help support their contestant. That made the day."

The spirit of the occasion overcame some glitches.

Brittany Burdick, one of the master of ceremonies said, "In the end it didn't matter that we had a lot of technical difficulty throughout the evening, and that I had to try and be a stand-up comedian while the techs worked on getting things fixed.

"When we found out the total that was raised it was just outstanding!"

Proceeds from the pageant will go towards helping Dornbecher expand their cancer wing, which is now at 95 percent capacity all the time.