East Cessnock Bowling was transformed into a teal tableau on Saturday night as it played host to the gala presentation for the Mrs, Ms, Miss Australia Quest (MAQuest).
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The event promotes awareness of ovarian cancer and attracted entrants from all over Australia.
The ladies were welcomed to Cessnock on Wednesday by Mayor Bob Pynsent and Member for Cessnock Clayton Barr, who both enjoyed having their nails painted teal for the ‘Manicure 4 a Cure’ cause.
The entrants also enjoyed a tour of the vineyards and Hunter Valley Gardens, a talent quest on Thursday night, followed by their interviews on Friday before Saturday’s finale.
Weston’s Amanda Barrass made a clean sweep in the Mrs division (for married women aged 25 to 50), taking home six sashes, two tiaras and two trophies including the Mrs. Planet Australia title.
Amanda will now head to Bulgaria in June where she will compete in the world titles.
“I am just so excited and very, very happy with how I ended up,” she said.
“It has been such an amazing experience and throughout this competition I have just grown so much as a person.
“It has also been a wonderful thing to do for myself and to see my kids be so proud of me has probably been one of the best parts.
“They have seen how hard I have worked throughout the fundraising events and it has been a great lesson to teach them about hard work and determination.”
Despite almost losing her voice completely before Saturday’s gala presentation, Amanda was also crowned the winner in the talent section for her singing and was named runner-up in the evening wear, social media and ovarian cancer awareness categories.
She also won the friendship award, which was voted for by her fellow MAQuest entrants throughout the week.
Amanda raised a massive $10,500 for the cause throughout her MAQuest campaign and said she will continue to fundraise in the lead up to the world titles.
She said she was inspired to enter the competition by her mother, Carol Lanesbury, who won the Mrs. Classic Australia title last year.
Carol is also a survivor of stage three ovarian cancer and breast cancer, and was presented with a ‘Lifetime Queen’ award at Saturday’s event, for her efforts in promoting ovarian cancer awareness.
East Cessnock Bowling Club manager Marlene Hartog said that the event brought a lot of positive attention to the area.
“The feedback we have gotten has all been positive, especially about the Hunter Valley itself,” she said.
“Everyone is saying wonderful things and it was great that we were able to take the girls out to explore all the great attractions we have on offer here.
“It was a great experience for the club to be a part of.”
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See more photos from the MAQuest in our gallery.
