Special needs girls become princesses thanks to Valley teen

WASILLA — Gabrielle Zaleski knows how it feels to be treated like a princess. The reigning Miss Alaska Senior Sweetheart is preparing to represent Alaska in her first national competition at the America’s National Teenager pageant this July in San Antonio, Texas.

But focusing on the upcoming national pageant didn’t stop the 17-year-old Colony High School junior from helping a special group of girls realize their dreams of becoming princesses. Last weekend, she crowned seven new girls at the first Miss Snowflake Pageant, an event for special needs girls.

“It’s not like a beauty pageant you see on TV, like Miss America, or on ‘Toddlers and Tiaras,’” Zaleski said, referencing the popular reality television show that showcases the world of competitive youth pageants. “I organized Miss Snowflake as a place where (special needs) girls could showcase their talents.”

Zaleski said she got the idea for hosting a pageant for special needs girls when she won the Miss Alaska Senior Sweetheart Pageant last November.

“When I was crowned Miss Alaska Senior Sweetheart, I felt honored and privileged to hold the title, and thought why can’t special needs girls have that opportunity and feeling,” she said.

Staged at Church on the Rock in Wasilla March 30, Miss Snowflake saw girls participating in three areas, including evening gown, talent and on-stage question, Zaleski said. Unlike competitive high-stakes pageants, Miss Snowflake isn’t so much a beauty competition as it is a place to make special needs girls feel good about themselves and show off what talents they have.

“Everybody has a talent,” she said, explaining that some of the seven inaugural participants danced, some sang, “and one girl just bounced a ball. Just to see the way their faces lit up on stage was great. The encouragement they got from that had to boost their confidence.”

All participants walked away at least being crowned a “princess” of the pageant, she said. And she’s already preparing for next year’s Miss Snowflake, which is for special needs girls ages 7 to 18. “I’ve already had people asking for applications.”

As well as boosting the self-esteem of special needs girls, Miss Snowflake also served as a fundraiser for Mat-Su Region of Hope Community Resources. While Zaleski said her goal going into the project was to raise $250, donations and support brought that number to more than $1,400.

“I didn’t expect as much support as I got,” she said.

Much of the support came from members of her church, which allowed her to put up a table for donations for a couple of weeks, along with a donation of all of the prizes, crowns and awards.

Giving back to other girls who might otherwise never experience the best parts of being in a pageant is a great feeling, Zaleski said.

“It was super fun and I thought that they felt really good and I’m glad I could touch a few hearts,” she said. “They were really happy (during the event) and it was like a friendship bonding type of thing for them.”

While some of the girls were shy on stage performing their talents or answering questions, one in particular stands out for Zaleski. She was asking the girl her on-stage question when the little princess, apparently getting antsy to move on, quipped, “‘Can you make this fast?’”

Contact reporter Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.