Local girls earn titles during Maine Women of Service Pageant

By Erin Rose

Raymond twins Alexa and Alison Largay and Windham student Peyton Dore are celebrating after taking home titles from the Maine Women of Service Pageant held in Freeport on Sunday, March 8.

Three girls from the Lakes Region brought home titles after
competing in the Maine Women of Service Pageant held
in Freeport on Sunday, March 8. From left are Alison 
Largay of Raymond, Alexa Largay of Raymond and Peyton
Dore of Windham. SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Alexa took the crown as the winner of the Young Teen Division at the state-level competition, with Alison taking home the Ambassador title, meaning both will go on to compete at the national Women of Service pageant in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in July. Windham’s Peyton Dore also took first runner-up in the Little Princess Division and won the overall Most Photogenic and Best Casual category titles.

“This was my first time winning a really, really big title,” Alexa said. “It feels really good. I couldn’t stop crying.”

Both Alexa and Alison agree that the crowns and outfits are bonuses to participating in the pageant, in addition to the community service and other pageant-related activities, but Alison added that meeting new people throughout the course of the pageant is the best part of participating.

“In pageants, you meet the best people, especially the younger kids who look up to you,” she said.

Kristin Dore, Peyton’s mom, said that her daughter’s participation in pageants was inspired by her love of the stage.

“The minute she stepped on the stage, it was something else. She just shined,” she said. “It’s fun as a parent to see your kid shine. She’s got the personality and everything. I could never in a million years go up on a stage and do what she did.”

Instead of a traditional beauty pageant, the Women of Service pageant requires contestants to have community service platforms under which they work to execute projects to help others.

While Peyton is just establishing her platform, she has started building bags to distribute to homeless people in the community. The bags contain granola bars, hand sanitizer, pretzels, gloves, and other small items.

Alexa and Alison both dedicated their platforms to the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital located in Portland. The two spent time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), making the cause personal for them.

Alexa operates “Pages for Premies,” and has donated books to the NICU at the hospital, ensuring that each child has a book when they go home.

“I reach out through social media, including Facebook and Instagram, and ask people to donate,” she explained. “They send me books and as soon as I hit 60 books, I go to the NICU and donate.”

Alison’s platform is “Toys for Tiny Miracles,” which raises funds to purchase toys and other items for the babies. She has donated more than $200 so far.

Alexa and Alison are both homeschooled, so the pageants provide them with an opportunity to be a part of a community and a chance to make friends.

“They’re making friends for life,” said Julie Largay, Alexa and Alison’s mother. “Once you make a friend there, it’s such a strong bond that they will stay together forever. “They are getting poise and elegance and stage presence, and they’re learning to talk to people. They’re learning charity work, what’s important and how to help people. Especially to a homeschool mom, they’re getting so much out of this. It brings so much more to who they are as a person.”

Dore also said that the pageant community is very supportive and helpful, especially for newcomers.

“It’s such a small community and they’re all really supportive of each other,” she said, explaining that the support of her own community of family and friends has helped ease the challenge of taking on pageants.

In addition to the pageant stage, the twins are actors and models who have featured in both local and worldwide campaigns. Alexa has shot three commercials, including an international campaign for CVS’s “Here for Her” program, promoting women’s health. Alison filmed a Jordan’s Furniture commercial for local audiences, where she “lived her best life…and got to jump on couches and jump on furniture,” Largay said.

The Maine Women of Service Pageant is part of the International and American Women of Service Pageant organization. It is a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to empowering girls and women through a commitment to service, education and leadership development. The pageant has nine age divisions, ranging from girls as young as 5 in the Little Princess division to over 50 in the Classic division. <