Yuman wins state pageant

When people think of pageants, they may think of the glitz and the glamor - or recently, contestants surrounded by controversy.

But for Yuman Andrekka Lanier, it means much more.

Lanier was recently crowned Mrs. Arizona by My Girl USA Pageant, a pageant based on community involvement. The My Girl USA Pageant is not associated with the Mrs. Arizona Pageant, which sends winners to compete for the Mrs. USA title.

Lanier's platform, helping Yuma seniors, won her the state title - showing it's the inner beauty that counts.

"I was surprised really, because I didn't think I'd done enough," Lanier said about her win.

Jennifer Bent, national director for My Girl USA, said she started the pageant three years ago after her daughter entered a pageant and wasn't pleased with the way it was run.

"(Other pageants) are very superficial," Bent said. "Most of it's based on outer beauty."

She said that's when she decided to "change the industry."  Bent said her organization doesn't encourage the girls to wear make-up, for example.

"We're trying to create role models because there's so few role models for teen girls these days," she said. "We're just looking for the best."

Contestants range in age from baby miss through Mrs.

Lanier said that after participating in other pageants, the My Girl USA philosophy is what attracted her to the pageant.

"(Other pageants) all say it's about being a role model, but the people who traditionally win have fancy clothes or extensive training in opera, gymnastics or something like that," Lanier said. "They're not really role models. The community barely knows them."

Married for five years, and originally from Virginia, Lanier moved to Yuma with her husband, who is a Marine. She said her upbringing in the Southern Missionary Baptist church helped teach her the importance of being involved in the community.

"I just think it's kind of selfish to (just) exist in a place," Lanier said. "If you're able to get around, it's the human thing to do, and the Christian thing to do - to help - because you never know when you're going to be on the other end."

She said she found Yuma to be a tight-knit community with friendly people who care. After a family member fell ill, and she couldn't be there to help, she decided to reach out to local seniors. She helped collect gifts and put together baskets for local seniors during the holidays.

Through Service Our Seniors, and with the help of many winter visitors and Christ Lutheran Church in Yuma, she was able to adopt several local nursing homes, where they brought the gift baskets.

"It's just about doing something for our senior population, for those who can't do for themselves," she said.  

Lanier said she'll continue the program this year, but she encourage people to remember seniors year round, and not just during the holidays.

"Hopefully, someone can go by and share a smile with them or maybe on the weekend and let them know that some people out there care about them," Lanier said.