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Hard Rock Crowns Miss’d America

Sure, New Jersey may have lost the Miss America pageant to Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. But as it stands, Atlantic City has not lost its glam and its appeal for pageant competitions. In fact, over the past years, the Borgata Casino has proudly been the host to the Miss’d America Drag queen pageant. And because the event keeps on growing in popularity.

And people are flocking from all over the State to see the show. The Hard Rock, who essentially has a bigger seating capacity took over this year’s competition. And last Saturday, they’ve crowned their very first Miss’d America in front of thousands, in an evening that can only go down in history as one of the most exciting ones for the Hard Rock Casino. And certainly one of the most profitable ones for the local and national LGBTQ charities the event helps to support.

7 years in the making    Hard Rock Crowns Miss'd America

September 21st was the evening where one of Ms. Sapphira Cristál, dreams came true. In fact, as Ms. Sapphira Cristál walked down the runway, she couldn’t help but remind herself that it had taken her 7 years to get the crown.

Indeed, it wasn’t the first time the 31 years old from Texas stood on stage in the hope to wow the judges. And in an interview, she admitted that.
“I have done this pageant more times than I can count, but I can tell you one thing, it was such a pleasure each and every time.”
She later added that signing opera in front of so many people was well worth it. And for her, sharing her art was the most important thing.

A worthy winner

But the truth is to win the crown Ms. Sapphira Cristál, had to do a lot more than blow the judges mind away with her stunning vocals. She had to overcome a lot of personal challenges as she came out and lost the support of her family.

“I ended up homeless in Boston for about a year, and it was a very hard year. But through that year, I learned friendship. I learned patience. I learned just to be someone who could persevere through anything.”

Sadly Ms. Sapphira Cristál isn’t the only one who faced rejection over her sexual orientation. Hens, evenings like the Miss’d America pageant are essential to help raise money for those in need. So far the charity has risen about $500,000, and continue to provide support to those who need it. And Atlantic City and the Hard Rock are a big part in that success.