Hinsdale Central Boys Take to the Pageant Stage Tonight to Benefit Cancer Research

Move aside, Ms. America — there's a new pageant in town, and you don't want to miss it.

At 7 p.m. Thursday evening, 9 of Hinsdale Central High School's finest young men will be taking to the stage to compete in a battle of group dancing, lip syncing, talent, spirit, formal wear and Q&A sessions in an attempt to win the title of Mr. Hinsdale.

"We have done Mr. Hinsdale in the past, but wanted to revamp it," Sally Phillip, Hinsdale Central's director of student activities, said. "Our athletic director, Dan Jones, did a similar competition at his previous school as well and wanted to help — we took a break from it and are bringing it back bigger this time."

Tickets for the show are $5, and all proceeds will go to the Amazing Grace Foundation, a nonprofit benefiting cancer patients.

Jones actually had Grace as a student in the past, Phillip said, and he shared her story with Phillip.

"We then shared it with student leaders of teams and clubs, (and) all students were on board and compelled by the story and wanted to support it," she said.

Grace Endris Haynes fought Osteosarcoma, a rare pediatric bone cancer, four two years. According to the foundation's website, it was her wish that an organization be formed to provide financial assistance for clinical trials that focus on treating the disease and to soften the financial blow for families going through the same thing hers did.

Phillip said the pageant process started with student council members nominating 40 junior and senior boys for the show. And no flair was spared — nominations were delivered by hand to classrooms, accompanied by a trumpet player.

The 40 kids were narrowed to 9 through interviews, and the profiles of those boys are posted below. The names, pictures and school years are featured on the small flyers, alongside a short description of the boys' dream dates.

Some of the answers?

"A traditional picnic after a morning of snorkeling off the shore of a Tahitian island."

"A candlelit dinner on an Amtrak headed to Romance Town."

"Moonlit walk on the beach...with some chicken wings."

Check out the full profiles below, and see the boys perform Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Hinsdale Central Auditorium.

--

All images courtesy of Hinsdale Central High School.