Dear Chamber Members, We have a new addition to the Brea Chamber of Commerce, “The Miss Brea Scholarship Pageant”. Dhasti Koteita, executive director of the pageant is a local resident and former Miss Orange and Miss California. She brings her experience to our city in establishing a franchised local affiliate to the Miss California/Miss America Pageant Association. Approximately, 3 years ago, she moved to our beautiful city with her two teenage boys. The Miss Brea Scholarship Pageant is a volunteer organization comprised of local people to benefit the greater good of local young women. Dhasti says, “This program, I know first hand, can benefit the young women of the City of Brea through educational scholarships and contestant participation”. Contestants will need to meet certain criteria to participate as a contestant in the pageant. Each contestant will need to be between the ages of 17 and 24, and live, work or go to school in the City of Brea. There is not a fee for contestants to participate. For further contestant information please check out their website: www.MissBreaPageant.com or email Dhasti at: MissBreaPageant@yahoo.com. Dhasti and the Miss Brea Scholarship Pageant joined the Brea Chamber of Commerce to partner with others in the community as an advocate for young women in Brea. Being a newly established volunteer program in our community, the pageant is looking for local volunteers to apply and work as a team to benefit our community and local young women. She says, “Many positions are still available”. The pageant is also looking for sponsors and monetary donations to the organization, which are tax deductible. It is estimated that the pageant will need approximately $15,000.00 in donations annually to break even. The Miss Brea Scholarship Pageant has a goal to offer a $5,000.00 scholarship to the new queen along with various in-kind gift donations from local businesses. And, a total of $3,000.00 in scholarships for the runners up. This will not happen without local businesses partnering together. Dhasti has been seeking the support of local organizations such as the Brea Lion’s Club to help defer the cost of establishing this organization. The Miss Brea Scholarship’s main sponsor to date is Interior & Exterior Design’s Inc. in La Habra who donated approximately $1,500.00 in the last 30 days to sponsor the pageant for franchise fees, business license, insurances, and chamber fees. Dhasti says the pageant franchise fees alone are $700.00 per year from the Miss California Organization. As grateful as the Miss Brea Scholarship Pageant is to Interior & Exterior Designs for there donations, their hope is that other local business will step up to the plate and sponsor the pageant so local young women will have an opportunity to better themselves. Not all pageants are created alike. The Miss America Pageant Association differs in many substantial ways and being a franchised local affiliate will be most beneficial for any young lady who participates. The standard that the Miss America Pageant Association sets for their contestants will benefit these young women for years to come in their future endeavors. The local Miss Brea Scholarship Pageant serves as a conduit and preliminary to the Miss California and Miss America Pageants. A local contestant that is crowned Miss Brea will go on to compete and represent our city in the Miss California Pageant. Not all pageants provide a scholarship. The Miss Brea Scholarship Pageant is more than a beauty pageant. It is a scholarship pageant that allows a young woman a platform for what she believes in and is most passionate about. Being an affiliate, the Miss Brea Scholarship Pageant will maintain the same format as the Miss California/Miss America Pageants. This means that there will be criteria for each and every category of pageant competition and activities. The judges will be prescreened, certified and approved from the Miss California/Miss America Pageant Association. This also means that each contestant must meet and maintain a standard set by the Miss America Pageant in order to become a contestant, compete and maintain their crown and privileges. The next Miss California Pageant will be held in June 2008. The Brea Scholarship Pageant believes they can establish their team by the New Year, schedule contestant tryouts in late January, and host a Miss Brea pageant in early spring 2008. Dhasti says, “If we can accomplish this task, we will have a contestant to represent our city in the Miss California Pageant next summer”. As exciting as this is, it will take the mature active participation of each volunteer. The pageant year starts in September so we are a few months behind. This time can be made up easily when a team moves together with pre-determined timelines and a plan. Brea deserves a pageant. The city, the Brea Chamber of Commerce, its members, and the pageant can work as a team, one supporting another. The local benefit to businesses, grand openings, ribbon cuttings, and city events has been very beneficial in surrounding city’s that sponsor and support a local pageant. Please don’t hesitate to contact the Miss Brea Scholarship Pageant if you have an upcoming event that you would like to have our Miss Brea attend. Your help would very much be appreciated. Please consider being a part of the Miss Brea 2008 Scholarship Pageant | 
