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SAN BERNARDINO, CA—For 17 years, San Bernardino High School has held the Miss Cardinal City Pageant in the fall and the Mr. Cardinal City Pageant in the spring. The COVID-19 pandemic changed that when first the 2020 Mr. Cardinal City Pageant had to be cancelled, then the 2020 Miss Cardinal City Pageant and 2021 Mr. Cardinal City Pageant.
With the 2021–2022 school year underway with in-person learning and in-person Board meetings, pageant director and bilingual school outreach worker Jaime Rios decided it was the right time to bring back the Cardinal City Pageants, but this time as a combined event in the fall.
“Since we missed two Mr. Cardinal City Pageants due to COVID, I didn’t want the students to wait until spring for that event,” Rios said. “Plus, since we’re coming back from an enforced hiatus, it seemed like a great opportunity to rethink the pageants to make them better than ever.”
Being crowned Mr. or Miss Cardinal City is an honor and a responsibility that many San Bernardino High School (SBHS) students desire.
To earn the title, contestants spend hours at rehearsals and mock interviews. They volunteer their free time to read to young children and help the homeless. Even before the young men and women take the stage for the formalwear and interview portions of the competition, they have all proven their dedication to SBHS and their community.
The school is asking local businesses and individuals to help make the pageant a success by donating time and resources. Any donations are welcome, from cash to in-kind donations. To become a sponsor, contact pageant director Jaime Rios at (909) 881-8217.
The combined Mr. & Miss Cardinal City Pageant is Saturday, September 25, 2021, 6 p.m., at Sturges Center for the Performing Arts, 780 North E Street in San Bernardino. Tickets are available from Rios or any Mr. or Miss Cardinal City contestant. Tickets are $7 in advance and $10 at the door.
SBHS and Sturges will comply with the latest COVID safety guidelines during the event. Due to changing circumstances, safety guidelines may change between now and the pageant.
