Ellington

This was the third year Gavin Johnson has helped to run Miss Greek, but this year, he went at it alone to help raise $73,000 for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Johnson, the Miss Greek chair, was in charge of every aspect of this year’s 25th annual event.

Miss Greek, a pageant in which candidates individually raise money to collectively donate to the research center, was hosted by the UW fraternity Delta Tau Delta last night in Meany Hall. Candidates were judged on their personality, talent, fundraising, philanthropic services and community awareness.

Out of the 15 competitors, Meeghan Dooley of Alpha Delta Pi was crowned Miss Greek 2011.

“The girls have done a really good job helping me help them,” Johnson said. “It’s kind of hard for me this year, [after] always having two people. [I] kind of had to make it up on the fly — how to do it with one person.”

Managing the financial aspects of the event, such as helping contestants fundraise and organizing donations, along with supporting the contestants by himself, was what Johnson said was difficult.

“It’s really hard this year, especially because there was only me doing it,” Johnson said. “They’ve all evolved from this process. You can’t really explain it to people. It’s something you have to do [yourself]. The first meeting, I go, ‘It’s really hard to explain what you’re about to do, but you’re going to change for the better from it.’ They all now know what I meant.”

This year’s responsibilities for the chair were overseeing fundraising efforts and working with Meany Hall staff to coordinate the event, while also helping guide the contestants with fundraising ideas and moral support through the seven-month process.

“The biggest thing was being more like a teacher rather than a coach,” he said. “Last year, it was two people, and we were like coaches — there to help them. This year, I feel like I was a teacher to a class or a lecture group, and this was our final.”

In past years, contestants have dropped out of the pageant. However, no one dropped from the competition once it began this year, with one participant joining after the initial preparation process began.

While contestants typically participate because they have experience with or have been affected by cancer in their lives, this year one of the contestants was able to give a first-hand account. Marylynn Crist of Alpha Phi is a leukemia survivor and has been cancer-free for 11 years.

Though Johnson organized the event unassisted, Dooley said she felt that nothing was lacking.

“I think Gavin did a great job,” she said. “It must have been so stressful. I know I was stressed out, and I only had to take care of myself, but he had to take care of 15 other girls. I don’t think the pageant suffered at all.”

Reach reporter Anna Chatilo at news@dailyuw.com.