By Lanier Laney
The charity fundraiser “Beaufort Beauties” sold out at the Port Royal Performance Center (aka The Shed) with a great audience that was as entertaining as the action on stage.
The judges this year were Holly Jahn, Judge Ned Tupper, Representative Shannon Erickson, City Councilman Mike Sutton and Attorney Jared Newman. They were all great sports during host Lucinda Ravenel’s (Terry Sweeney’s) withering introductions.
Attorney Worth Liipfert took the highest honors with his character Crystal Balls and also won Miss Congeniality (for raising the most money) and won the talent competition for his amazing banjo rendition.
Councilman Mike McFee as Michelle De Tainedalot came in a close first runner-up and also won the Evening Gown competition. Hank Herring as Hot Chocolate came in third.
Of special mention, Brad of Bliss Salon did the best hair of the night with Mike’s amazing curly red hair high rise ‘do. Dusty Conner and Allison Barlow did the great make-up. Richard Van Bortel of Amazing Rentals did a fabulous job converting The Shed into a glamorous pageant venue complete with a mirrored ball. And
the Greenery helped out with the plants.
Paul Nurnberg “saved the show” by bringing in much needed lighting for the stage at the last minute from his photography studio across the street. And Deanna Kraszewski volunteered her time to teach “the girls” their great opening dance number.
The whole event was saved by a miracle as all the power went off in Port Royal for four hours due to a storm and it only came back on four minutes before the doors opened and the nearly 300 attendees lined up were allowed in. And the show went on!
The event and silent auction items raised money for four great charities — Friends of Caroline Hospice, Thumbs Up! and Lions Club of Beaufort along with Main Street Beaufort USA. Special thanks go to all the men who participated as “Beauties”: host Terry Sweeney; the judges; the great audience; Modern Jeweler’s Kevin Cuppia; sponsor Holly Zahn; all the
volunteers; the drama department of Beaufort High School; along with all the hard work by Androula and LaNelle of Main Street without which this event would not have happened.
Will McCullough as Selma House.
