20050918 - Contestant Jocelyn Mendez, 17, competing as Miss Nicaragua,
gets some help from friend Araly Hernandez in doing her make-up before
taking the stage. Contestants prepare backstage for the Miss Tampa
Hispanic Heritage Pageant, held during the Tampa Hispanic Heritage
Kickoff event at Centro Asturiano on Nebraska Avenue on Sunday
afternoon. The eight contestants, representing eight different Latin
American countries, rehearsed for a month for the event which featured
a $500 prize for the winner who best represented her country's culture
through dress, dance and interviews. (Brian Cassella / St. Petersburg
Times)
