For the babes.

Byline: STEPHANIE BURTON 20Below News Team / The Register-Guard

WHAT COULD BE better than watching varsity football players, dressed head to toe in pink Spandex and bunny slippers, dancing to Spice Girls' music?

Probably the fact that they're raising thousands of dollars for sick children in the process.

Twelve years ago, Karen Martin sat at the dinner table with her family and recounted her experience touring the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Sacred Heart Medical Center. She said she was incredibly impressed with the work of the Children's Miracle Network and what it was doing for sick children.

The next day, Martin's 12-year-old son, C.J., came home from Monroe Middle School with an idea. Why not raise money for local hospitals and contribute it to CMN?

"I was so excited about what I had seen at the hospital and I guess C.J. was excited too," Martin said. "To be honest, I was kind of skeptical. I hadn't really seen any young people try to attempt a huge fund-raising project before. I never dreamed C.J.'s plan would be such a success."

C.J.'s plan, which raised more than $700 during his two years at Monroe, has transformed itself into a multimillion-dollar project.

In 1993, C.J. brought his concept to a Sheldon High School leadership meeting. Someone suggested an all-male `beauty' pageant and - voila! - the Mr. Irish Pageant was born.

The elected contestants (each year the senior girls vote to nominate 10 senior boys) raised money for the Kids Helping Kids program, and then competed for the title of Mr. Irish at an actual pageant. A panel of judges scored the boys in a formal and a swimwear segment, a mystery/ talent segment, a mom segment and a final question-and-answer round.

The winner, Chance Currington, was crowned and then returned the following year to pass on his title.

The 1993 pageant not only raised $3,779, but several other Lane County schools learned about the event and called on Sheldon to help start pageants in their areas.

Since then, 22 high schools in the area have designed pageants to benefit the Children's Miracle Network. Last year, the Mr. Irish and Mr. Axeman pageants each raised close to $30,000.

Local schools in five districts have donated more than $1 million to the Children's Miracle Network.

Unfortunately, the amount of money being raised on school property have drawn complaints from budget-conscious school officials.

Some administrators have suggested that pageant student coordinators should be "creative" with the money they raise, implying that some of the donations should be used to buy educational supplies and not given solely to the Children's Miracle Network.

"In a time of severe cutbacks, these kids are making such a difference, some of that money should come back to the schools," said Cydney Reineke, an assistant principal at South Eugene High.

South's principal, Jerry Henderson, suggested that the pageants need "reasonable boundaries" concerning the amount of money they are raising.

The recent controversy has put the Children's Miracle Network in a tight spot and left pageant coordinators frustrated, they said. Instead of an unlimited number of fund-raising activities allowed on school grounds, most Lane County high schools now are restricted to only three.

While many student coordinators have been irritated by the new regulations, the Children's Miracle Network has instructed the coordinators to quietly comply.

"We don't want to lose these pageants," Sheldon faculty adviser Irene Alderman said. "They're for such a wonderful cause.

`These are tight times and maybe we should consider splitting up the donations. But this will be the first year when the boys probably won't exceed the amount of money raised last year."

What might not be apparent to some adults is how the donations are used. While the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit receives funds to buy cribs, intravenous pumps and monitoring equipment (all pint-sized for tiny babies), School Based Health Centers, the Healthy Tomorrows Clinic, outpatient therapy, and teen drug and alcohol treatment centers also are assisted.

"The money donated to CMN is only half of the equation," said Sheri Fredrickson, a parent supervisor for the Mr. Irish pageant. "The idea of the pageants is to promote awareness, as well as raise funds. I can't even begin to explain the amount of school unity these pageants create.

"It also gives the kids a chance to shine and care for the community."

This year, I've had the privilege of working as a coordinator for Sheldon's 10th anniversary pageant, which was held earlier this month. I don't think I knew what I was getting myself into - there's an enormous amount of work to be done. A national correspondent from the Children's Miracle Network attended our pageant in an effort to expand the program nationwide.

As coordinators, we do everything from publicity to pageant rehearsal to stage setup. We even have to teach the boys how to dance (not an easy task, believe me). But this has been one of the best experiences of my life.

The emotion of visiting Sacred Heart's infant-care unit was beyond words. I'll never forget the tears in the boys' eyes as they stroked a premature baby.

"It was all very overwhelming," contestant Andrew Deffenbacher said. "I started to realize the impact I actually have on these children."

Not only does the pageant bring schools closer together through activities (staff vs. Mr. Irish basketball games, dances, date raffles, etc.), but the boys have a chance to bond with each other and grow as people.

When asked to write about his Mr. Irish experience, one boy replied: "I know it sounds corny, but being a part of Mr. Irish molded me into a more mature person. I learned how to keep a schedule, work with others, and interact with adults.

`I learned how to get the job done."

Above all, the community can watch as a group of teen-agers take on a fantastic opportunity and make a difference in the lives of children - saving kids' lives.

"I would die if this program ever left the high schools," Karen Martin said. "These pageants teach about life. They teach about goodness. It's not about the money. These kids walk away from the experience as better people."

Stephanie Burton is a senior at Sheldon High School. She can be reached by e-mail at 20Below@ guardnet.com.

CAPTION(S):

His long coattails flowing over the nicked piano bench, Paul Bodily added a classical note to the event.