Superheroes abound at pageant

Superheroes commandeered the stage at the annual Mr. SHS pageant held Sunday, February 24, at the Sisters High School auditorium.

The pageant is a fundraiser for Sisters Family Access Network (FAN), which provides support for families in the Sisters School District including everything from school supplies and clothing to gas vouchers and applying for the Oregon Health Plan.

The eight senior boys, clad in comic-book superhero costumes, entertained the crowd with their diverse talents before changing into formal wear for a showy fashion display, all in the spirit of raising money for FAN.

Escorts included Shelbi Thompson, Marcy Calavan, Meghan Connolly, Michaela Fujita-Conrads, Hannah Rockwood, Shannon Fouts, Danielle Lovegren and Haley Hedren. 

The show, cut down from previous years in which 10 or 12 contestants took part, got off to a fast start as emcees Madison Rost and Danya Evans introduced the eight superheroes and the judges: Melvin Herburger, Angeline Rhett, Winfield Durham, Clay Warburton, and Sara Weldon.

A group dance number including the boys and their escorts and choreographed by Hannah Rockwood set the tone for the evening. 

One by one the contestants presented their own individual talents, beginning with Nicky Blumm (Superman) who performed a lip sync with his escort Michaela Conrads before breaking into rap to the song "Matzah!" in honor of his own Jewish heritage.

Eli Boettner (The Green Lantern) teamed up with Ethan Luloff and Dexter Muller for an energetic dance routine, followed by contestant Colton Cooper (Thor) in a sketch from the movie "Anchorman" that included a well-received a cappella version of the '70s song "Afternoon Delight."

Drew Corrigan (Aquaman) showed a self-created music video of "The Spirit of Sisters" which his escort Shannon Fouts co-authored, while Ryan Pollard (Flash), joined by his brother Brandon and his escort Meghan Connolly, expertly enacted a dance instructor lip sync.

Ross Robinson (Iron Man) screened a professional-quality video of himself snow-mobiling, which has become his life's passion. Andrew Snyder (Captain America) and his escort Danielle Lovegren took to the dance floor with a ballroom number followed by a zesty tango.

Dillon Witt (Batman) concluded the talent portion with a video showcasing himself on the slopes riding his downhill skis.

The next portion of the show featured the contestants and their escorts in formal wear, bringing high fashion to the stage, including Nicky Blumm in an authentic Scottish dress kilt.

To help narrow down the field to the final three contestants, each boy responded to a question from the emcees. Drew Corrigan got the strongest response of the night with his answer to the question, "What do you make of the survey that showed one in five students cannot locate the United States on a world map?"

He said, "Well, I don't know any of those people thanks to the fine education I have received in the Sisters School District, which is why all of you voters out there should support the local option!"

Corrigan, Ryan Pollard, and Andrew Snyder advanced to the final round which included one final question, and the five judges produced their final tallies minutes later as Drew Corrigan was named the 2013 Mr. SHS.

"It's quite an honor to represent my school in this way," he said. "The preparation was a lot of work and it was tough to learn the group dance, but it was all worth it."

Colton Cooper was named Mr. Congeniality for his consistent good attitude and helpfulness throughout the process.

According to leadership director Michele Hammer, the entire group was a pleasure to work with and did a fantastic job in helping raise a total of between $5,000 and $6,000 for Sisters Family Access Network.

Dawn Cooper of FAN said, "Every dollar the kids raised is important to our community, so we are thrilled by the funds that they are able to contribute."