Miss Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay’s representative at the Miss Northern Ontario pageant says she wants to put smiles on patients’ faces by raising $5,000 for the Northern Ontario Families of Children with Cancer.

Elizabeth Nucci, 18, has spent most of her teenage life volunteering. She's helped at the Canadian Cancer Society, the Dragon Boat Festival, Festival Italiana and the Tony Kolic Memorial Golf Tournament in honour of her cousin. The city awarded her the Youth award in 2010 for her commitment to her community.

Nucci’s cousin, Tony, passed away from brain cancer about five years ago after battling the disease for five years. His death motivated her to become more involved the in community, she said.

She started a candy-bag fundraiser for Northern Ontario Families of Children with Cancer. As a delegate for the Miss Northern Ontario pageant, she’s obligated to raise $100 but she said wanted to go above and beyond that amount and hoped to raise about $5,000 for the organization.

"So many individuals are touched or affected by cancer," Nucci said on Saturday. "To me, it means so much to be able to put a smile on someone’s face, especially a child. No one deserves to be battling such a horrible illness.

If there is any way possible for me to give back to anyone I would do so and I feel this is a great way to do it. I love making people smile."

A student at Queen’s University, she said it was a shock when she heard the news she was nominated to represent the city in the pageant. She said she had to write a biography about herself, go through an interview process before they officially announced her as the city’s representative.

But for her, the true beauty of a person isn’t on the outside, it is more skin deep something the pageant tries to emphasis, she said.

"I think it is really important that the pageant is more based on inner beauty," she said. "People are caught up on body image and outer beauty. What I think really makes a person is deep down inside; giving back to the community, volunteering and trying to make other people smile. It’s what’s on the inside that counts not the outside."

Traditionally, pageants emphasised on how a participant looks instead of what’s on the inside. Nucci said this pageant moves away from that stereotype and attempts to look deeper by looking at confidence, self-esteem and motivation.

While the pageant isn’t until May 26, Nucci said she was still undecided on what her talent would be. She couldn’t decide whether she wanted to dribble a basketball, dance or maybe do some beat boxing.

"I want to make Thunder Bay look really good a this pageant," she said. "I honestly didn’t think one bit that I would be the one representing Thunder Bay in such an amazing experience. I called my brother and parents right away. I couldn’t believe it. I’m just so excited to represent my city."

Residents can purchase a candy-bag for $1 at Nucci’s Bake A Deli and Bennett’s Bakery and Deli. Nucci added she planned to sell candles for Mother’s Day and other fundraising events in May.