Miss Corozal Xioleni Ruiz Crowned 81st Queen of the Bay Designate

Miss Corozal, Xioleni Ruiz, has been named the 81st Queen of the Bay Designate. She captured the title in a pageant showcasing grace, eloquence, cultural pride, and patriotism from seven delegates representing their hometowns across Belize.

Ruiz shared her first message following the win, thanking those who supported her throughout the journey. “There are many emotions running through me at the moment, but I just want to say thank you to God, who I put first in this journey, to my family, to my team, to my coordinator, to my community in Corozal, to everyone who has supported me, to social media, and to everyone. I want to thank you, everyone. Without you guys, I won’t be here today.”

Miss Stann Creek Central, D’Andra Mejia, placed 1st runner-up, while Miss Belize City, Raheema Hafiya, placed 2nd runner-up. Organisers praised both delegates for their strong performances representing Stann Creek and Belize City.

Additional honours went to Miss Toledo, Emely Castro, who won the Emma Boiton Award, and Miss Belmopan, Rhea Henry, who won the Opal’s Glow Award, also known as Miss Amity.

Ruiz will be officially crowned by outgoing Queen Samantha Ramirez at the Battle of St George’s Day ceremony on September 10th.