Miss Island Queen returns, Key West fundraiser tops $400,000 for Samuel’s House

Miss Island Queen has now raised more than $400,000 for Samuel’s House, turning a five-year Key West drag pageant into one of Monroe County’s most visible sources of support for women, children and families in crisis. The money helps a nonprofit that has served the Keys since 1999 and operates three shelters, including Mary Spottswood Women’s Center, which the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame identifies as Monroe County’s only emergency shelter for homeless women and children.

The fundraiser’s appeal is part spectacle, part civic muscle. Created and coordinated by Kirby Myers, the amateur pageant pairs local men and women with professional drag queens who coach them through gowns, talent acts, makeup and, in some cases, hair removal. The 2026 pageant opened with a kickoff April 7 at Hugh’s View, and organizers also highlighted a rooftop party at The Studios of Key West with music by DJ Sanaris, a Key-Haw photo booth and a cash bar.

The final show is set for May 4 at Key West Theater, where the campaign will close after about a month of public events and promotion. This year’s contestant and coach pairings are Scottie Jahn as Auna Bender with QMitch, Mark Huffman as Ida Ho with Maya Montana, Justin Harris as Trixie Dixie with Beatrix Dixie, Becky Damian as Manny Mansplain with Erin McKenna and Hugh Janus, and Nick Mazza as Nicky Gaga with Jessica Deveraux. Each pair builds its own stage persona, giving the fundraiser the kind of local identity that Key West does better than almost anywhere else.

That identity has helped the event gain momentum fast. Samuel’s House said the 2025 Miss Island Queen campaign raised $175,000, and the 2024 show brought in more than $113,000 at a sold-out Key West Theater. Together, those two years produced nearly $288,000, a pace that pushed the five-year total past the $400,000 mark and showed how deeply the event has taken hold in the community.

The result is more than a campy night out. In Key West, Miss Island Queen has become a recurring fundraiser with a recognizable cast, a monthlong build and a direct line to housing and crisis services for Monroe County residents who need them most. It is a rare local tradition where nightlife and philanthropy share the same stage, and the impact now reaches far beyond the footlights.