By Sara Seibel
Ten senior boys went head to head on Wednesday, Feb. 24, but only one was able to win the precious title of Mr. Coronado. Isaac Foutz was handed the golden crown and named the eighth Mr. Coronado.
“I am super ecstatic and honored. I really want to thank my friend Nathan Gerard and my parents,” Foutz said.
The participants were George Mentchoukov, Michael Van Laar, Rami Khalaf, Logan West, Walker Wright, Sam Fagel, Rakan Sayegh, Isaac Foutz, Nathan Gerrard, and Michael Schwob.
Mentchoukov’s charity was Child-Hunger, which serves to help feed children around the world. He performed first with voice impersonations of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Katniss Everdeen, and Justin Bieber.
“I watched my first Mr. Coronado last year, and after watching the guys’ performance I thought I could try, specifically the stand up routines,” Mentchoukov said.
Van Laar supported Adopt-A-Rescue-Pet, a charity that aims to provide vet care, food, microchips and homes for pets. For his talent, Van Laar lip-synced and danced to a mashup of Halo by Beyonce, Sorry by Justin Bieber, and Don’t Stop Believing by Journey.
Representing Habitat for Humanity, was Khalaf. The organization is a nonprofit affordable house building in partnership with people in need. His act was rapping on a hoverboard with other contestants cheering him on in the back.
The second runner up, West, chose Autism Speaks, which sponsors autism research. He chose this charity in honor of his little cousin. In a comedic trio, West and his friends sang Hello by Adele and hit the whip to sum it all up.
Supporting Opportunity Village, Wright staged a comedic pantomime of a movie theater skit. Opportunity Village trains people with intellectual disabilities to lead a successful life with jobs throughout Southern Nevada.
“I chose Opportunity Village because I have been with the association a couple of times and work with my friend Dylan third period in the cafeteria who has special needs,” Wright said.
The first runner up, Fagel, represented True Colors Fund. True Colors works to end homelessness among gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth to create a world where young people can be themselves. He sang and strummed the guitar to a pop song mashup for his act.
Sayegh’s fundraiser was Goody 2 Shoes, a nonprofit group that provides free shoes to children in need. He chose this charity because his sister volunteers there every Friday. He lip-synced to “A Whole New World” from the Disney movie, “Aladdin.”
The winner of the night, Isaac Foutz, chose to support the Children’s Cancer Foundation Organization that provides social, emotional, psychological and educational support for families of children with critical illnesses. Foutz and his team reenacted a light-hearted synchronized swimming performance on the gym floor.
Gerrard chose Children’s Heart Foundation of Nevada in honor of his nephew who has Congenital Heart Defect (CHD). This organization is committed to making a difference in the lives of heart families through emotional, educational and financial support and to inspire a higher quality of life for all. Gerrard air juggled for his talent after announcing someone had “stolen his juggling balls.”
Last but not least, Michael Schwob decided to support Promapalooza which gives teens with disabilities the prom night they deserve. He danced in a tutu with six others to “Don’t Let Me Down” by The Chainsmokers, ending the round of talent.
Two special guests, Emily and Haley Ferguson from the hit reality show “The Bachelor” helped judge the pageant along with the dean, Mr. Marshall.
“Thank you guys for being so hilarious and fun tonight,” Haley said.
With the help of the pageant, selling event and raffle tickets, and participating in Pie-in-the-Face, a total of $3,004 was raised. Half of the money will go to Foutz’s charity, the Children’s Cancer Foundation, and the other half will go to More Than Sports, a charity that sends backpacks and sports equipment to children in Austria.
The two hour pageant ended with the boys’ dancing a number they had prepared for fun consisting of songs from Taylor Swift and “High School Musical 2.”
“My favorite part of the night was the boys announcing their charities,” Marshall said.
