Man About Town 2024 raised about $5,000 for Ramona Rotary Club while entertaining crowds in a playful way.
Held at Lavender & Olive on June 15, Man About Town replicated a Miss Congeniality Contest that instead involved men wearing dapper outfits, dancing and answering pageant-style questions.
The event’s organizer, Carol Fowler, said the dozen participating men drew laughs as they showcased themselves wearing different outfits.
“We enrolled 12 men to strut their stuff,” Fowler said. “Little did we know that men can be so silly. These amazing men sought out to entertain their family, friends, co-workers and the community with their humor, which was spot on.”
Five judges ranked the men on humor, the volume of applause they received and amount of money they collected for student scholarships.
Throughout the evening, which included a dinner, the costumed men had the crowd in stitches, Fowler said. Contestant Vinnie Ciampoli, who owns a construction company, and Emanual “Manny” Pasternack, an attorney, sported the style of suits in the movie, “Dumb and Dumber.”
“I am not sure which one was dumb and which was dumber but they were both super funny,” she said. “One of my favorites was Jonas Dyer, who sported a shark suit. Seriously, all the guys were super funny in their own right.”
Pasternack won the contest, followed by attorney Robert Krysak, who got a standing ovation while wearing a military outfit from his younger days. Third place winner was Ciampoli, who wore shorts with a blond wig for the beachwear portion of the event. A Mr. Congeniality award went to Ramona Rotary Club member Lee Castillo.
She gave kudos to all the men who participated.
“In my opinion they are all GOATs – ‘Greatest of All Time,’” said Fowler, who plans to hold the event again next year with possibly a disco and patriotic themes.
(Courtesy Carol Fowler)
Shayna and Peter San Nicolas of The Brokerage Real Estate Agency participated in Man About Town 2024.
Ramona Rotary Club will be creating a 12-month calendar for 2025 based on photos of the 12 contestants at the Man About Town 2024 event. It will be produced later this fall and be sold at the Ramona Chamber of Commerce office and local businesses, Fowler said.