One family’s motorhome provides transportation, togetherness, and a mobile dressing room.
By Robbin Gould, Editor
June 2021
As parents, we tend to be proud of our children’s accomplishments. For example, what mom or dad wouldn’t be delighted for their daughter to win a pageant? How about two daughters winning a pageant? How about the same pageant, and at the same time?
Richard and Phyllis Cicchetti, F387705, of Plymouth, Massachusetts, happily point to these honors earned by their youngest daughters. In December 2020, Annarose, 20, and Sarah, 12, competed in the state level of the Royal International Miss Pageant in their respective age groups. Both girls came away with the title of Miss Massachusetts.
Annarose and Sarah Cicchetti compete in pageants, and both have earned the title of Miss Massachusetts.
Annarose also won the Miss Massachusetts title in another pageant, America’s National Miss. When she was named Miss New England in a third competition presented by Couto Pageant Productions, she could not accept that honor, because she already held two titles.
These pageants are more a confidence-building platform than a beauty contest, Richard explained. They help to develop girls’ overall poise. “The girls get interviewed and might be asked something like, ‘What is your favorite color?’ You can’t just say ‘blue’ — you have to go beyond that, describe why you like blue, and give examples.”
Pageants also can be a vehicle for promoting awareness of issues in a positive way. For instance, Annarose said that some “focus on anti-bullying and using your crown” to get out the message.
This June, Annarose plans to represent her state at the national level of the America’s National Miss pageant in Atlanta, Georgia. And in July, both Annarose and Sarah will compete in the Royal International Miss Pageant in Orlando, Florida, where they’ll vie with contestants from around the world.
The family’s 31-foot Forest River Sunseeker Type C motorhome provides transportation and lodging for many of these events — and a dressing room once there.
“When you’re traveling with gowns, a car just can’t do it,” Richard said. “And with two girls competing, there’s a lot to pack.” The pageants generally consist of several required competitions, which may involve an interview, a self-introduction, and fashion wear and evening gown modeling. Participants also may choose optional contests, such as talent competitions or a photo shoot/runway challenge. Each competition usually requires specific attire. So, that built-in dressing room is extremely useful, Richard said.
They don’t tow a vehicle behind the motorhome, so Richard seeks out RV parking ahead of time near the pageant venue, preferably within walking distance or reachable via shuttle.
Besides transporting the family, including the dog, the coach offers another advantage at pageants, he said. “Most of the time, the last day is a problem. You usually have to check out of a hotel by [early afternoon]. Most competitions last until early evening.” The RV makes that a nonissue.
When the Cicchettis do stay at a campground, it’s a family tradition for everyone to take an early-evening stroll around the grounds. “The girls have their sashes on, and maybe their crowns,” Richard said. “Invariably, people stop and ask, ‘How did you get the crown?’ ‘Where did you get it?’ ‘How did you get the sash?’ ‘What pageant were you in?’ It’s maybe a 20-minute walk, but it will take us two hours.”
Last summer the family took the RV cross-country to Denver, Colorado, to visit relatives. They walked around downtown Denver with Annarose in her Miss Massachusetts sash. Despite mask wearing and social distancing brought about by the COVID-19 outbreak, folks still stopped them.
“People are always very interested. Especially when we’re far from home,” Richard said. “How often do you see someone in a Miss Massachusetts sash?”