Miss Teen Yukon Territory is now also Miss Teen Canada Charity.
Whitehorse’s Alissa Budzinski was awarded the title of Miss Teen Canada Charity at the Miss Canada Globe Productions pageant in Toronto last month.
The 17-year-old arrived in Toronto expecting a final stage of selection, but her charity work over the past year earned her the title outright.
“When I first got there, I didn’t know I had won. I figured they were bringing back the top five finalists and would have to do an interview and all that question-and-answer thing,” said Budzinski. “So I was pretty shocked at first ... I wasn’t expecting that to happen at all. That was quite a big surprise.”
Budzinski, who is a senior at Vanier Catholic Secondary School, was named Miss Teen Yukon Territory at last year’s Miss Canada Globe pageant.
Following the pageant she donated a lot of her time to various organizations. She took part in numerous charity runs/walks including the Aids Walk for Life, Terry Fox Run and ALS walk in Whitehorse.
“After I won my regional title, I did charity events throughout the year and I had done the most of the girls who were competing,” said Budzinski.
She also gave time to a local animal shelter, walking dogs and caring for cats. “I wanted to take them all home,” she said.
“I tried to volunteer as much as I could. I tried to go weekly to the animal shelter ... In the fall I did a lot of the (charity) walks ... and the Rendezvous events.”
As a contestant in last year’s pageant, Budzinski listed all the elements on the periodic table in numeric order for her talent. For her regional gown, she showed her Yukon roots with a “snowshoe shuffler” costume inspired by the Rendezvous celebrations. She selected WaterCan as her primary charity. It’s a Canadian organization dedicated to providing clean water to poor people around the world.
As a national title holder, Budzinski will eventually trade her Miss Yukon sash for a Miss Canada one when she goes to compete at an international pageant.
One doesn’t have to look far back to find a similar Yukon success story.
Whitehorse’s Jennifer Perrin was named first princess at the Miss Canada Charity pageant last September in Toronto.
As a title holder Perrin attended the Miss Petite Beauty International in the Dominican Republic this past April where she was named first princess as the runner-up at the international pageant.
Budzinski was actually one three Yukoners Perrin recruited following her first pageant in 2012.
“She scouted me a little over a year ago and I went to the first one where I won my regional title, and then I got invited back this year,” said Budzinski.
“It’ll probably be in 2015 because I have a lot of school work to do,” she added of going to an international pageant. “I’m hoping to go somewhere warm. Jennifer went to the Dominican Republic, so I think that would be nice to go to.”
Miss Canada Globe Productions has hosted annual pageants in Toronto since 2000. Its mission statement reads: “To provide assistance to charities and non-profit organizations. To help raise funds and bring public awareness to their charitable causes. Promote multiculturalism, special events and non profit fundraisers throughout Canada. Be a symbol of today’s modern woman!”
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com