Pageant king crowned for commendable cause at slap-happy benefit.

Those lips, those eyes, those big, bountiful… bribes.

Randy Hudson was crowned Mr. South Whidbey in the first-ever beauty pageant for the Friends of Friends medical support fund.

Though the winner looked fabulous during the competition on the night of Saturday,

Sept. 23, that wasn’t all he needed to beat the competition.

The tongue-in-cheek benefit for Friends of Friends had one critical component, and it wasn’t a swimsuit competition. The winner of the Mr. South Whidbey competition was the man who raised the most money for Friends of Friends.

It was a close race, though. Brian McKenna, first place runner-up, was close on Hudson’s heels while Barton Cole, a determined contender, admirably claimed the second-place spot.

Paul Matthews, third-place runner up, was on somebody’s heels, too. He was clearly a crowd favorite — audience members say he looked delicious in drag — and he added a special note to an evening best described as “reckless abandon.”

The audience was treated to high-spirited hi-jinx from the nine candidates, who put on a parade of perky fashions, competed in a trivia contest, and also sang, danced and did a strip tease amid whistles, kazoos and blatant displays of judge bribing.

In the end, Hudson’s ability to bring home the bacon brought him back to center stage. Legendary singer Carolina Parrots sang “He’s So Fine,” while Hudson took his victory stroll along the runway.

Every dollar donated to Friends of Friends in a candidate’s name counted as one vote, and the audience came through, raising more than $25,000.

The first Mr. South Whidbey competition was held at Freeland Hall, and Fireseed Catering provided a variety of savory foods that had the audience reaching for seconds.

Friends of Friends is a non-profit, community-funded medical safety net that offers financial help to South Whidbey residents who need assistance with uncovered health-related expenses. The organization helps with doctor visits, lab work, screening exams (such as Pap tests and mammograms), hospital payments, medications, emergency dental work, and ferry fares to medical treatment.

Through the generosity of the people of South Whidbey, Friends of Friends is able to help neighbors meet their medical needs and makes direct payments on their behalf to health providers.

If you need help with medical expenses, or if you would like to donate to this locally-based safety net, call 221-4535.

Patricia Duff can be reached at 221-5300 or pduff@southwhidbeyrecord.com.