Eva Childress couldn't see the twinkling of the tiny Christmas lights that lit the runway. She couldn't see the audience that clapped for her or the blue and white balloons that decorated the dining room at Fountainbleau Lodge.

But she could feel the weight of the sparkling tiara as it was placed on her soft white curls, hear the song "You Are So Beautiful" playing in the background and smell the red roses placed in her arms, and that was enough for the 93-year-old. Enough to bring her to tears.

Childress, who was born in Benton, Mo., and became blind two years ago, had entered, then withdrawn, then re-entered the Ms. Fountainbleau pageant this year, unsure about participating in the annual contest but finally deciding to join in.

The pageant's 10 contestants were treated to makeovers early on Friday and wore special outfits for the event. Childress' daughter, who lives in St. Louis, brought her mother a fuchsia dress and sequined shell to wear, but was not able to attend the pageant.

"They've all been looking forward to this for so long," said Elizabeth Erbs, activities director at Fountainbleau.

Each contestant was escorted down the runway. For most, it was a rare opportunity to put on lipstick and dress up.

"It's an opportunity for the older adults to be proud of something. It's not based on what they're wearing, but how well they'd represent Fountainbleau," Erbs said.

The contestants were asked three questions about their lives and activities at the nursing home and then a panel of judges selected the winner based on their answers.

The most popular response to a question about favorite activities at Fountainbleau was playing bingo.

Childress said her favorite thing to do was exercise.

"That's about all I can do, being blind," she said. "I can't see well enough to play bingo."

As the winner, Childress will travel to Ste. Genevieve on June 24 to compete in the second phase of the statewide nursing home pageant.

cmiller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128