Tower Theatre to host Miss California Volunteer pageant on Sunday

Fourteen candidates, ranging from a police officer to a singer/songwriter, will take the stage Sunday afternoon at the Tower Theater in their quest to be the 2023 Miss California Volunteer.

The pageant, now in its second edition, remains the only statewide pageant in Fresno because the Miss California pageant has ended its two-decade run in Fresno and will head to Visalia this summer.

The Miss California Volunteer is an offshoot of the Miss America Volunteer, which started in 2019 in Tennessee in response to a change of direction of the Miss America Organization. That included the elimination of the swimsuit competition.

Clovis hosted the inaugural MIss California Volunteer Pageant last July when San Diego’s Caroline Azar won the crown at the Clovis Veterans Memorial Auditorium

Among the 14 hopefuls are three Latinas: Miss Vista Samantha Mendoza, Miss Beach Cities Jocelyn García, and, Miss Santa Ana Mitzi Abasto.

Sunday’s pageant, which will include Miss Teen Volunteer, will start at 4:30 p.m. at the Tower Theatre for the Performing Arts.

An arrival ceremony was held Friday evening at the Bankers Ballroom.

A glimpse of the Latina contestants:

Mendoza, 25, has competed in the Miss California Organization in the past.

“I actually started at a pageant that was 100% based on volunteerism,” said Mendoza. “So when I heard about this competition, I thought it would be a good fit.

She graduated from UC San Diego with a bachelor’s degree in psychology with an emphasis on human health. Mendoza plans to earn a master’s in public health and become a psychiatirst who works with children.

Her platform is advocating for homeless youth.

“I see that there are a lot of young people that are homeless, and I think that is just (because of a) lack of resources out in the community,” said Mendoza. “I want to help make those resources that are available more accessible.”

Mendoza said teachers and professors should guide students to those resources.

For her talent, Mendoza will perform a comedic monologue. She began taking acting classes when she was 12.

A hobby is calligraphy. “I really enjoy collecting pens and then writing them them,” said Mendoza.

García, 24, has a degree in accounting and a minor in marketing. She was raised by a single mother.

Pageants are not new to her. She was Miss Anaheim in 2020 and 2021, and advanced to Fresno for the Miss California competition.

Her platform is preparing individuals for the tax season.

“I want people to know what a W-2 is, what a 1099 form is,” said García. “Are they taking too much money away? Am I getting scammed?”

García does volunteer tax assistance, “so this platform is like a no brainer for me,” she said.

She will perform a rap vocal for her talent.

Abasto, 25, entered her first pageant as a high school senior. “From there on, it just took off,” she said. “I’m hooked on pageantry.”

Pageants, said Abasto, have helped her with life and interview skills. In turn, that has helped her deal with clinical depression, anxiety and eating disorder.

“I really have to build up the courage to go on stage and show everybody my confidence,” said Abasto. “This program really helped me love myself.”

Abasto graduated from UC Davis with a degree in genetics and genomics. She is pursuing work as a physician assistant with a goal of working in underserved communities and indigenous communities in Bolivia.

Her platform is planting a seed of hope by utilizing horticulture therapy.

“It’s been proven that gardening helps with cognitive development, stress and anxiety,” said Abasto.

For her talent, she will sing ‘Never Enough’ from the movie ‘The Greatest Showman.’

Among the other contestants are Miss Fresno Jacqueline Trafton, Miss Clovis MacKenzie Stafford, and, Miss Central Valley Ashlyn Cruise.

Other hopefuls are Miss Northern Sierra Audrey Showen, Miss San Francisco Claire Rose Vincenzi, Miss Santa Monica Cassie Roby, Miss Riverside Taisyn Crutchfield, Miss Culver City Hannah Cutter, Miss Los Ángeles Jireh Gerry, Miss San Diego Tia Henderson, Miss San Mateo Sofia Costantini.

Details: www.misscaliforniavolunteer.com.