Beauty aids
From drivers to hairstylists,
By Tim Ryan
from clerks to graphic artists, 500 volunteers
put in long hours of hard work to help to
make the Miss Universe contestants
and Honolulu look good
Star-Bulletin
IT'S 7 a.m. and Marlon Eugenio, 40, is standing guard over several tables in the Hilton Hawaiian Village Tapa Tower where Miss Universe contestants will be interviewed.
The tables are empty. The fresh fruit, muffins, cookies and hot coffee are late in arriving. Eugenio, who only the day before was working in a fitting room, handing out gifts to the 81 contestants, seems to have one eye shut. He's been working a lot of hours in a long week and is tired, despite appreciating seeing up close some of the most beautiful women on the planet.
When a reporter approaches, Eugenio springs to life, apologizes that the continental breakfast isn't quite ready, then offers to get food from the contestants' private dining room.
"Please let me get you something to eat, at least some coffee," said Eugenio, who lives in Waikiki and works for the federal government. "You can't interview Miss Venezuela on an empty stomach!"Eugenio is one of the 500 volunteers who have been working for free to help the Miss Universe Host Committee the Hawaii part of the pageant to make the contestants' visit here as pleasant as possible.
"This is better than the Super Bowl," Eugenio said. "The world will see beautiful women and Hawaii on television."
There's no quibbling among volunteers over duties. Some even have been working for weeks without seeing one contestant.
Volunteers who are identified by their badges, designed by another volunteer are working at the pageant headquarters at Ward Warehouse, the Hilton Hawaiian Village where the contestants are staying and the contest headquarters at the Stan Sheriff Center.Last week, nearly a dozen hairstylists and make-up artists from Salon 808, including Henry Ramirez, Dennis Guillermo and Pattie Kuamoo, worked on dozens of contestants preparing for photo shoots. During the two major events the preliminary judging on May 7 and the finals on May 12 there will be 43 hairstylists and makeup artists at the center doing their thing before the contestants face the public.
Volunteers are escorts, flag bearers, parade organizers (Charlie Kapua, Toni Lee, who is Miss Universe Brook Lee's mother, and Ken Kelson), drivers, sign-makers (John Blumhart), the fashion show coordinator (Carol Pregill) and computer wrangler computer (Paul Lawler of Net Results).
"Without these volunteers we could not have accomplished this pageant," said Moana Sherbert, volunteer coordinator for the host committee.There are entire committees of volunteers responsible for major duties:
The Welcoming Committee, coordinated by Gena Dutro, greeted all contestants on arrival with handmade signs in their native language.
Miss Universe Brook Lee will make an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show during the May sweeps. The show will be taped tomorrow in Chicago and air at 4 p.m. May 11 on KHON/Fox. Joining Lee will be Jennifer Lopez, star of "Selena," and international model Alek Wek. Lee returns to Hawaii the same day the show is taped. Brook on Oprah
There are more men than women volunteers mainly because of the flag bearers, security and escorts needed and represent every age from 18 into the 60s. Some responded to newspaper ads. Others like Sherbert and Robert Dunmire were talked into it by friends already involved in the pageant.
"I ran into a friend already working here," Sherbert said. "I had been taking care of my grandchildren... but after five years I was getting tired of baby sitting."
The next week Sherbert was working at the Ward Warehouse Host Committee office.
Dunmire was paying his phone bill at Ward Warehouse when he saw friend Terry Frank in the Miss Universe office. She motioned him inside.
"Very quickly she asked me to volunteer," said Dunmire, who owns his own business. "Since I have a van I've been making lots of deliveries of food, official T-shirts, gifts. I set up the public address systems, and even did the announcing at the Planet Hollywood party."Dunmire didn't want to miss the experience of being part of Hawaii's first Miss Universe Pageant.
"The one thing I can contribute is my time and lots of effort," said Dunmire who volunteers five days a week, 11 hours a day. "I've met great people and I love doing multiple tasks."
The host office has about 10 volunteers, mostly for clerical work. The office is opened 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Volunteers are asked to work at least 4 hours but most stay a full eight.
"Everyone wants the state to be a shining star," Sherbert said.
In the Tapa Ballroom where the contestants chose made-in-Hawaii outfits for last week's fashion show, some volunteers did the fittings and some marked the measurements. Across the room volunteers Charlotte Knight and Stefan Quiban passed out the gifts set aside for the contestants."I've always been interested in pageants," said Knight, 50, a mother of three who is married to a retired U.S. Marine. "Maybe it's a female thing about just being curious about what these girls look like.
"But I enjoy seeing all these people from different countries and making them feel at home. This is my version of aloha."
Quiban, 26, an insurance representative, wanted to help because he's a "personal friend" of Brook Lee's but also wants to "showcase Hawaii to the world."
"I'm a huge pageant buff," he said. "I'm a previous Mr. Asia 1997.
"Pageants are the epitome of a lot of hard work, drive, determination and going for your dreams."
Terry Frank is passing out the shoes contestants will wear in the swimsuit competition. She helps women get the right size and fit. Some take her advice; others don't. Miss Russia takes an hour to choose her shoes.
Frank, who works at KHON television and a frequent volunteer for community projects, climbed on board the pageant train initially because she hoped to get her 20-year-old nephew involved.
"He said, 'No way,' but I'm still here," Frank laughed.Is she at all offended by pageants?
"Some women have a problem with the show dog aspect, but I'm very liberal," Frank said. "Life's too short to worry about some things. Some people really want to push the big mountain. I don't."
It's lunch time and Eugenio is still on duty in the media-contestant-
visitor snacking area. A group of tired hairstylists and make-up artists munch on candy bars and potato chips, the only food left.
"Follow me," says Eugenio who leads them into the high-security "Delegate Meal Ballroom."
A moment later the group returns with chili and rice, bottled mineral water and fruit.
"That's what you need," Eugenio says. "If you don't feel good, the girls don't look good. We're a team."
Fashion show nets $15,000
By Tim Ryan
Star-BulletinThe 1998 Miss Universe Pageant's "Made in Hawaii" fashion show benefiting Junior Achievement of Hawaii made $15,000 for the nonprofit organization.
Eighty-one contestants modeled hundreds of made-in-Hawaii outfits provided by nearly three dozen local designers at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Friday night.
An auction also was held of gifts offered by each contestant, with the top bid of $1,505 paid by an anonymous buyer for a rare silk from the Thailand entry, Chalida Thaochalee. The contestants last night spent a few hours sailing off Waikiki on the catamaran Alii Kai. They celebrated "Aloha Tropical" with Rolando Sanchez and Salsa Hawaii, hosted by the Hispanic Center of Hawaii.
Today and tomorrow each contestant will be interviewed for five minutes by each of the 10 local judges. The judges on Thursday will select 10 finalists from the 81 entries. The finalists will not be known until May 12, when Miss Universe is selected.
TONIGHT
TOMORROW NIGHT
