RUMFORD — The Rumford Eagles Auxiliary will be hosting its ninth annual All Male Beauty Pageant at 5 p.m. Saturday, April 12, with local men raising money for charities by dressing in women’s casual and evening wear and displaying their talents, said Marcia Surette, chairman of the pageant.

Surette, who is a former member of the auxiliary, said that the doors will open at 4:30 p.m., followed by a spaghetti dinner at 5 p.m. and the pageant at 6 p.m.

The price of a ticket will be $10 for the meal and the show, or $5 for just the show.

“The deadline to purchase one of the $10 tickets is at 9 p.m. April 8,” Surette added.

Surette explained that each participant will be “completely dressed like a woman” and will compete in three different categories: casual wear, talent and evening gown.

“This year, I have 12 men competing in the pageant,” Surette said. “A few of them are repeat competitors, while a few are men who have never competed. I have one man competing who has been crowned ‘queen’ of the pageant three different times.”

The men competing in the pageant will walk up and down a catwalk with a purse, collecting donations.

“Whoever gets the most donations will win the pageant,” Surette said. “Each man competing gets to choose which organization their money goes towards.”

Surette said that the Eagles have raised over $30,000 in the eight years that they have held the pageant.

“Last year, we had lower numbers because of bad weather that came through,” Surette said. “Some of the men had to drop out at the last minute. We’re hoping for good weather this year.”

The idea for an all-male beauty pageant began in 2005, according to Surette, after auxiliary members Mary McDonald and Steph Wilson suggested it.

For more information, call Surette at 357-3103.

mdaigle@sunjournal.com