Big Girlz Runnit presents Miss Voluptuous

MVP 2013 delegates

We are only one week away from the 4th Annual Miss Voluptuous Pageant and I got to chance to chat with founder and owner of Big Girlz Runnit, Michelle Caldwell. I am glad to have known her and worked with her for almost 4 years. I am so proud to have been crowned the first Miss Voluptuous 2011. This organization is for the everyday plus size woman. The woman from all over, from the hood to the suburb, the single mother, the wife, young and "seasoned" women. This organization and the Miss Voluptuous Pageant system encourages all women of all walks of life to join. For me it was good to be a part of something where I could look to my left and look to my right and identify with them. Be sure to get your tickets to this year's Miss Voluptuous Pageant May 31 at 7p at the King arts complex in Columbus, Ohio.

1. What is the name of your organization? Your pageant system? The name of my organization is Big Girlz Runnit Inc. The name of my pageant system is The Miss Voluptuous Beauty Pageant.

mynesha hall MVP 2012

2. What sparked your interest in pageants? What sparked my interest in pageants was watching the Miss America Pageant on television, and getting angry looking at all of the contestants. All of them were small and petite. I got upset because these images on my tv screen were what society deemed as beautiful, and not one of them looked like the reflection I see in my mirror every morning.

3. What made you start your pageant? What made me start my pageant, was my husband witnessing my anger and frustration during the Miss America Pageant. I was complaining and yelling at the tv, saying "Why don't they have any big girls on that stage? They didn't even have a female with the average body type! This is why our young girls feel so insecure about themselves! I should have a plus size beauty pageant." My husband said to me, "Well, why don't you? What is stopping you?" That was the day that Big Girlz Runnit Inc was born.

Julianna Delise MVP 2013

4. When did you start your pageant? Our first Pageant was held on Saturday, May 21, 2011 in Columbus, Ohio 

5.What does your pageant promote? Our pageant (and the BGR Inc. organization) promotes self love, self confidence, and societal awareness of the plus size community. We aim to erase "sizeism" (prejudice against overweight people) 

6. What sets your pageant apart from other pageants out there? What makes BGR Inc. unique from other pageants, is that we try to relate to people from all walks of life. We have affordable fees to participate, which always fairs well with the public. We keep it real! No stuffiness and "fru fru" attitudes allowed. While we hold self-respect and class in the highest regard, we pride ourselves on being relatable, and real. The Miss Voluptuous Beauty Pageant is also different, because we welcome ladies who may need some help boosting their self esteem and confidence levels by showing them how to love and appreciate all their curves and edges, and re-assuring them that they are beautiful! If they don't love and appreciate their curves, then they certainly cant expect a love interest to do it. Love you first and the rest will follow. 

The Caldwells

7. What do you hope to gain from this pageant? What I hope to gain from this pageant, is to help at least ONE person come to know herself, and identify herself as beautiful and worthy of everything life can bring. If what we are doing reaches at LEAST one person, then our job is done!

8. Being a director, have you ever competed in pageants? No, I have never competed in pageants. Not because I am afraid to. I have never competed in pageants because I am a "behind the scenes" type person. Not to mention, other than the Miss Plus America pageant, our pageant is the only one of its kind that is built around plus size women. Me competing would be conflict of interest.

9. How/where can people register to compete? Reistration is closed for this year, but for next year people can connect with us on our Facebook page BigGirlz Runnit-Inc or visit our website Biggirlzrunnit.com Registration opens every year on January 3. 

10. What type of delegates are you looking for to represent your pageant? We are looking for women ages 18 and up who are no smaller than a size 14. We are interested in diversifying the pageant. BGR Inc. welcomes all races and ethnic backgrounds. We are not a "black only" organization.

Me, MVP 2011

11. What is your pageant’s motto? Hmm, that's a good question. We don't have a motto for the pageant per se, but BGR's motto is "I Put On For My Thickies" and "The Thicker The Berry, The Sweeter The Juice"