0. PAGEANT FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES FOUNDED BY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT CELEBRATES ITS 6TH YEAR OF BRINGING CHILDREN & TEENS TOGETHER
   

Life is too short to be dull. This is the mission of the Sparkle Pageant. Mary Grace Beasley,
University of Tennessee graduate and second year law student at Lincoln Memorial University,
has a heart for children with special needs and disabilities. After trying to find her “place” in
high school, Mary Grace discovered that her best fit was with the students in the Hand in Hand
program. The Hand in Hand program at Pope Prep, Mary Grace‘s alma mater, was designed
for children with intellectual disabilities to have the opportunity to learn in a traditional
classroom setting. Each child in the program is partnered with another student who serves as
their peer mentor. It is through this peer mentorship that Mary Grace met Isabella, who
inspired the Sparkle Pageant.

After winning a pageant in 2017, Mary Grace, 17 years old at the time, thought of how much
fun it would be to offer a pageant experience to the children she worked with at school. After a
few conversations with her mom, the Sparkle Pageant was born. The Sparkle Pageant is now
entering its sixth year. The Sparkle Pageant is open to boys and girls with differences and
disabilities, who would like to share their sparkle with the community. All of the money raised
from the pageant is donated to the Hand in Hand Options program, where Mary Grace grew to
adore these children.

Now in its sixth year, the Sparkle Pageant has become a favorite event of the students at Pope
Prep. When asked what’s your favorite thing about the Sparkle Pageant, Mary Grace answers,
“The Sparkle Pageant is a day where we can all come together as one, celebrate our differences
and grow in love. It brings so much joy, seeing the student volunteers connect with their peers
and the amazing kids that come from all over.”

This year’s pageant is scheduled for Saturday, April 13th at Pope Prep in Hendersonville, TN.
For more information on how to enter, check out their Facebook page or email them at
thesparklepageant@gmail.com.