Puna Butay Wins Miz Kaua'i Tita Pageant

Press Release May 2, 2008 - TO: All Media
FROM: Mālie Foundation, PO Box 13, Kapaa, HI 96746; PH: 808-822-2166
Media Contact: Carol Bain, 246-2111 bain@kauai.net

Puna Butay Wins Miz Kaua'i Tita Pageant

2008 to be Final Pageant

LIHUE – It could have been the pink outfit combined with camouflage shorts. It could have been the heartfelt singing of “Just along for the Ride”. It could have been her selection of yummy YanYan 99-cent chocolate covered cracker pupu. The combination wowed the judges Kenui Kasparovitch, Noe Ho'okano and Ipo Kahaunaele-Ferreira who awarded the title Miz Kaua'i Tita 2008 to Puna Butay at the pageant held at the Hilton Kaua`i Beach Resort Friday night.

“What being a tita means is that as a strong willed woman, a tita is ready for anything,” said Butay. Competition was fierce but friendly among four contestants in categories: Who's Dat Tita; How U Gonna Ack; Grab-n-Grind; Bump-n-Grind; and Tita Walk-n-Talk.

Other contestants included Dayna Ng, Esther Figaroa and Kamei Trinque. “All who have participated as contestants in this pageant over the years are fantastic 'tita',” said the modest master of ceremonies, Chanel Flores, a 2005 Miz Tita Kaua'i winner herself. Flores kept the crowd laughing, even during “technical difficulties.”

The evening featured a premiere showing of the video “She's a Tita” produced by Ariki Foster which is rumored, by Flores, to become a classic. A special performance by Boom Shakalaka Maka and a song by Terri Russell, last year's pageant winner, entertained the audience while judges tallied the scores.

An event unique to the island, Miz Kaua'i Tita Pageant coordinator Jodi Omo announced 2008 to be the final year. President of the Mālie Foundation, the non-profit organization that promotes the event, Omo said, “The board is always experimenting with ideas that bring our local community and cultures together, and decided that this five-year run was worthwhile but time to close.”

Past winners of the pageant include:

• 2004 – Paulu Chandler
• 2005 – Chanel Flores
• 2006 – Randi Flores
• 2007 – Terri Russell

Trophies and cash prizes were awarded to all contestants. Sponsors of 2008 Miz Kaua`i Tita Pageant include: Hawai`i Tourism Authority, County of Kaua`i Office of Economic Development, and Kaua'i Hilton Beach Hotel.

The Mālie Foundation also coordinates a new event, Na Lei Hiwahiwa May Day Celebration, ongoing Hawaiian cultural workshops, and the annual Kauai Mokihana Festival. The dates for the 24th annual Kaua`i Mokihana Festival are September 21 through 28, 2008 and the theme will be “Year of Our Kupuna”. For updates visit http://mokihana.kauai.net

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PHOTOS: for high res, email Photographer: Joe Olivas

Photos contributed by: Mālie Foundation; Joe Olivas photographer