Being crowned king or queen for a night and basking in the glory of cheers and congratulations aren’t always the highlights of every pageant – at least not for the Mr. and Miss Latin UGA Pageant.

For the participants of tonight’s event, hosted by the Delta Alpha chapter of Lambda Theta Alpha, there is a greater good.

Though competitors’ cultural representation is an essential aspect of the pageant, providing for the organization’s philanthropy is the underlying significance, said Lila Parra, fundraising chair for Lambda Theta Alpha.

“We have a philanthropy called Oasis Católico that essentially is a trailer park where 90 to 95 percent of the community is Latinos,” she said. “We do community service there, such as a back-to-school party for kids.”

Parra said the money from the pageant helps fund the philanthropy so that children of Oasis Católico can have school supplies. With the $1,000 the sorority usually raises from the pageant – coupled with donations from local businesses – they are able to provide school supplies to 50 children each year.

Winners of the pageant are not tied to any obligations, but Parra said they are expected to at least be active at any events the organization hosts, such as visiting Oasis Católico to see what the money goes toward.

Jose Hernandez, the 2008 Mr. Latin UGA, said he was introduced to the philanthropy through the pageant and has volunteered there since.

“It was a very rewarding experience because the mobile [park] is composed of poverty-stricken Latino families, and through the program you get to mentor and tutor students with homework,” said Hernandez, a sophomore from Buford.

Hernandez said he has volunteered with the philanthropy on several occasions and was invited back to help with an upcoming community service project.

Overall, Hernandez said he is looking forward to all the new faces in the pageant this year.

“It has a new feel this year and I’m looking forward to handing the crown off to the next best man looking to help the philanthropy reach its best levels.”

Parra said the pageant began as a way for students to showcase their heritage.

“Our sisters established this because they wanted to show traditional attire,” she said. “If you’re Colombian, you will come in Colombian costume.”

Parra said the founders of the pageant – which is now in it’s fourth year – said there was nothing like it on campus and they wanted to open it up to any student.

But the pageant isn’t limited to only those of Latino origin. In the past, they have had African-American and Asian participants, but the name of the pageant is still the Mr. and Miss Latin UGA because the founders were Latino, Parra said.

“Even if you were white and were Irish, we expect you to wear an Irish costume,” she said. “Nobody is just black or white. They come from somewhere else.”