About 20 male Ohio University students donned costumes and strutted down the catwalk Monday for an event that usually ignores their gender: a pageant.
Mr. University, a male pageant organized by the Alpha Delta Pi sorority, raised $2,545 Monday night for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio.
Of the money raised, $1,200 came from pre-sale tickets, said Morgan Dewey, philanthropy chair of Alpha Delta Pi and a junior studying communication sciences and disorders. Pre-sale tickets sold for $3, while students buying tickets at the door paid $5.
“It blew my expectations,” Dewey said. “So many people came out to this event and raised money for the charity.”
More than 800 people attended the event, reaching the Baker Center Ballroom’s maximum occupancy. Three judges were present to decide who would be Mr. University.
“It was amazing to see how many people came out to be a part of this,” said Melissa Wilkes, president of Alpha Delta Pi, a senior studying special education and a judge of the pageant. The other judges were Samantha Caulfield, University Program Council special events executive and a junior studying public relations, and Angela Hartley, development director of the charity.
The pageant included a swimsuit competition, a formal wear competition, OU trivia and a talent competition that featured anything from interpretative dance to singing in different languages.
“It was a big turnout,” Caulfield said. “This will definitely benefit the charity, and this pageant was all for a great cause.”
The Ronald McDonald House Charities in Central Ohio will become the biggest Ronald McDonald House in the world by 2014 after a new wing opens, Hartley said. She added that the donations from the sorority will benefit the charity significantly.
“I thought it was an awesome, very well-run pageant,” Hartley said. “We’re so grateful for the relationship we have with the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. They tied in the mission of the charity well.”
By the end of the night, Alpha Delta Pi had crowned Eric Horton, a representative of the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity and a senior studying biology and pre-physical therapy, the first Mr. University.
“It feels wonderful, and it was a surprise,” he said. “I enjoyed doing this pageant for the community service.”
Sophomore Colin Potts, of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, placed second, while junior Chris Bucey of the OU men’s crew team and junior Brandon Schade of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity tied for third place.
Coming to the event was a way to show support for OU’s campus and the charity, said Kyle Ranally, a senior studying journalism and advertising and a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
“I think this pageant was entertaining,” Ranally said. “Everyone is here to have a good time. This brought different communities together. Win or lose, we’re here to have fun.”
hy135010@ohiou.edu
