The Beauty of Giving: How Miss Night in Venice Gives Back
For nearly 60 years, the Miss Night in Venice Charity Pageant has been raising funds for nonprofits throughout the region
Winning Miss Night in Venice is not really about the crown.
It’s not so much about riding a boat through Ocean City’s lagoons on the night of the parade (although that part is unquestionably cool), and it isn’t even about the esteem of touting a fun title during a year-long reign.
Miss Night in Venice, at its core, is about helping others.
“It’s a nontraditional pageant,” Miss Night in Venice Charity Pageant Committee volunteer Ashley Gillian said. “We’re trying to get more away from the pageant aspect and focus more on the fundraising, philanthropy aspect.”
Since 1996, Miss Night in Venice contestants have raised more than $1 million for local charities in Cape May and Atlantic counties. The concept is simple: For the five weeks prior to the annual Night in Venice boat parade, contestants collect donations. Whoever collects the most wins the crown.
“Miss Night in Venice has always been a fundraising pageant,” Ashley explained. “When it started way back when, it was to raise money for the fire rescue.”
While Ashley has been serving on the pageant committee for five years handling social media and website duties, her relationship with Miss Night in Venice goes back much farther. Ashley was crowned Miss Night in Venice 2002 and served on the pageant committee in an auxiliary capacity for the two following years.
“Miss Night in Venice is about community engagement and being an active part of our local area,” Ashley said. “It’s a great way for these girls to build community service hours for school. It’s a big part in getting them actively involved before they get to college.”
Vying for the crown
There are few requirements for a young woman or girl who wants to compete for the Miss Night in Venice crown. As long as they are aged 15 to 25 years and have a desire to buoy up local charities, they’re in. This year’s contestants are Nadia Marzano, Madison Richards, Aralene Sanchez, Noley Schenck, Madison Specht, Bridget Towers and April Grace Wright.
The contestants place Johnson’s Popcorn buckets at Ocean City businesses with their photo to solicit donations. There are community boards featuring the contestants Downtown and on the Boardwalk, too, and for the girls who work in town, they often place a bucket at their place of employment during their shifts.
In the leadup to Night in Venice, the contestants take part in the South Ocean City Improvement Association Fourth of July Bike Parade, riding in convertibles with volunteer drivers along the route. The winner is then crowned the Monday before Night in Venice – July 20 this year – at a ceremony at the Ocean City Tabernacle. The fun culminates when Miss Night in Venice, her court and all contestants ride the bow of a lead boat in Night in Venice.
“It’s a fun way to acknowledge being part of the city’s larger celebration, and it’s fun for the girls riding through the parade to get to see the different themes of houses and other boats,” Ashley said.
The charities
There are certain nonprofits that always benefit from Miss Night in Venice, such as the HERO Campaign that focuses on preventing drunk driving. Others change each year. From January to April, there is open enrollment for charities to apply. The board then decides on the year’s recipients.
“There’s a little variation from year to year,” Ashley said. “One of the most visible projects we support is the HERO Campaign wrapped police cars. This year Shore Memorial made a request for warming blankets for the maternity ward. And we have another organization that works with breast cancer survivors where they bring them on a weekend retreat.
“For the last five years,” Ashley continued, “we’ve been working with the Ocean City chapter of Quilts of Valor, which is a national organization that makes quilts for veterans.”
Ways to donate, get involved
In addition to the aforementioned ways to drop in a monetary donation, donations can be made directly to the contestants. Some of the girls have set up Venmo accounts, too. Anyone interested in making a general donation to Miss Night in Venice can reach out via the website at missnightinvenice.com, via Instagram @miss.night.in.venice_oc.
Ashley said the committee is always looking for volunteers for the crowning parade and 4th of July parade, particularly those who have convertibles and would donate their time to drive a contestant on the parade route. The committee takes applications if someone is interested in joining, too.
“There’s a lot of different ways to get involved,” Ashley said.
That volunteer spirit is what the committee works hard to foster in its young Miss Night in Venice contestants, too.
“It’s important to just be an active member of your community,” Ashley said. “To get the kids, while they’re growing up, to recognize that yes, even as one person, you can have a large impact on your local community.”
By Kristen Dowd