Bree LeFavor, a swimmer in need of an alternative activity, got more than she bargained for in the world of pageant competition. Sidelined last year from her favorite competitive pastime, the 13-year-old, life-long Marion resident was encouraged by her music teacher to take her other favorite activity, singing, to a beauty pageant.
“Honestly, during the first pageant, the rehearsals and stuff, both my mom and I had the same mindset, but after we did the pageant, I got a lot of awards and … met a lot of nice people,” said Bree, a student at Old Rochester Regional Junior High School. “I think I’ve become a lot more confident … I’m a lot better about public speaking now.”
Bree’s mother Julie LeFavor was taken aback at the thought of a pageant. “We’ll do one pageant,” was her answer. “We’re not pageant people,” she explained.
The one-and-done theory gave way to one, then two, then three, with more to come. After Bree came in as third runner-up and the receiver of multiple scholarships and Miss Congeniality recognition in the Miss New Bedford pageant held October 2023, she entered Miss Fall River and again finished as third runner-up.
Then came Miss Cape Cod’s Teen, where Bree won first place and the congeniality and interview awards.
“Third pageant, she won it, that was shocking for me,” said Julie, noting that Bree will next compete for Miss Massachusetts Teen (the winner of that pageant goes onto the Miss America Teen pageant.)
The whirlwind of sudden success in this new activity has not changed Bree, beyond the fact she has made several new friends.
“Everyone’s very nice. Definitely, I think a lot of the friendships that I’ve made are going to be lifelong; it really is a sisterhood,” said Bree, who has a special relationship now with New Bedford resident Ashley Clark, 22, a UMass Dartmouth graduate in Fashion Design who won the Miss Cape Cod title and as such, is Bree’s big sister in the pageant life.
“Everybody’s been very, very nice, and the girls are all genuinely rooting for each other. When the parents can’t get backstage, they all have to help each other – get into their dresses. It was really an eyeopener,” said Julie. “We didn’t really tell anyone when she went to do Miss New Bedford … then it was on Facebook so cat’s out of the bag now. It was really a pleasant surprise, everyone was so lovely.”
Along with a talent, each competitor has a Community Service Initiative, what they call a CSI. Bree’s CSI is to teach children in public schools about water safety.
“I mean, yeah, because when it’s about your CSI … I know what I want to do so it’s just about saying it in a good way,” said Bree, who is back to swimming, competing with the ORR High School team as an eighth-grader.
Bree has always been a well-trained and capable swimmer, having survived a close call in the water at age four. Her mother says she has a faint memory of going under in a murky ocean. Julie screamed at the lifeguard without taking her eye off the mark where she last spotted Bree. Julie waded into the water and could see Bree underneath the surface treading the water but not coming up.
“I made it a mission, everybody’s going to get waterproofed,” said Julie, who also has a son. “(Bree) definitely wanted to make that her platform. We got them into good programs.”
“The goal of this is that every delegate (Teen and Miss contestants) focus on a social impact initiative to bring to bring to community, cause and commitment for their year. It is their opportunity to make a difference and bring their cause to the forefront,” said Jacquie Curran, the executive director of the Miss Cape Cod Scholarship Foundation, Inc. “We are a completely volunteer organization. I started the Teen program 2018 when I returned from living in Atlanta for 25 years and resurrected the ‘Miss’ title 2023 after 30 years in hiatus.”
Under the new ownership of Robin Fleming, the Miss America Organization is looking to promote a better financial commitment from the delegates and families and to that end charges a one-time $39.99 annual fee with no further entry fees required for multiple pageants.
“Raising scholarship funds and donations has been quite the challenge, especially with Covid and not being able to run the program, not getting to the school auditoriums with the restrictive policies as well as the prohibitive costs,” said Curran. “We depend on ticket sales, fundraisers, raffles, donations from various businesses if they’re able, discounts and sponsorships from families and friends. We have to get very creative.”
Bree’s go-to number for voice is “At Last” along with some Adele songs.
“I like to sing older music because it tends to resonate more with the community. ‘At Last’ everyone knows it and enjoys it,” she said.
At last, Bree is singing, swimming and making sure other children know how to have fun in the water and at the same time, be safe.
By Mick Colageo