Give What You Can: SHARE is hosting their annual can drive pageant for Jewish Family Services

The annual Mr. CANsas competition, a men’s pageant to collect cans, will be held on May 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the East auditorium. 

During the pageant, senior boys from different activities at East, such as basketball and theater, are selected to complete and participate in three portions: best dressed, interviews and talent. At the end, the audience votes for who they think should be Mr. CANsas with cans.

Previously unable to hold the typical in-person meetings and events, SHARE was able to expand its volunteer opportunities once East returned to school fully in-person, allowing them to hold the Mr. CANsas pageant.

They won’t be limiting the number of people in the theater, but the seats will be spaced out with students sitting individually with four seats in between them and families will come in pods that will be spaced out — it’s suggested that families reserve their seats in advance. All audience members, contestants and announcers will be required to wear masks.

“[In] the back of the front middle section, so we’ll probably do the pods in that area and pull the students closer to the front and on the sides,” SHARE coordinator Sheryl Kaplan said.

As usual, all audience members must bring two canned goods to get in and additional cans to vote on who they think should win the title of Mr. CANsas. The cans collected will be donated to the Jewish Family Services.

The candidates for this year’s competition have been chosen, and must get their talent act approved by the SHARE Execs before the pageant.

“I’m sure it will be a stellar competition, I think the stakes are high, the talent is great, it’ll be a fun night,” Kaplan said. “Since people have not been able to come out because of COVID, we’re hopeful people will show up, be supportive, bring their energy and their canned goods and make it a fun night.”