A pageant unlike any other in Northwest Arkansas took center stage in Springdale.
"There are no judges so there are no losers. It's just all about celebrating life of these wonderful individuals."
There were brushes, combs, curling irons and make up, all the basics of a beauty pageant.
"I'm just a mom that wants to create another activity for my child and others like her," said organizer Daphne England.
But the Northwest Arkansas Angel contestants were overcoming struggles to see the stage.
"It is a non-competitive pageant for individuals with special needs... I want the community to see how beautiful and talented and special and wonderful they are because they are."
The cause is close to Daphne's heart. Her 14-year-old daughter Morgan has cerebral palsy.
"She has the best time. She likes being on stage and seeing everybody look at her and everybody clap for her."
Boys and girls of all ages soaked up the spotlight. Each were named king or queen and were given a crown, sash, tshirt and goodie bag.
"Sometimes special needs kids, special needs individuals, have a tendency to be overlooked. There are not a lot of activites for them."
But now, being different brought them together to share the experience of a lifetime.
"That's what this pageant is about is celebrating them and giving them another activity to be involved with and giving them the focus just on them one at a time, their time on stage, their time to shine and their time to feel like the most important person in the world."
This was the first Northwest Arkansas special needs pageant Daphne organized, but she is hoping to make it a yearly tradition.
