Miss Black Nude America owner takes the fight to cancer

Sadeke Brooks, Staff Reporter

With a daughter, sister and close friends having had cancer, Delores Dickson found a way to help fight the disease by raising funds for cancer research.

Dickson, who is currently staying at Hedonism II in Negril for the Miss Black Nude America pageant she started more than 10 years ago, said her daughter had breast cancer, and after recovering from that, she was faced with leukaemia. And, 14 years ago, her sister had throat cancer, which made her lose her voice. She has also had a close friend that worked with her for more than 20 years who faced the disease.

"It was so hard in the beginning. Sleepless nights and crying all the time. That's one of the reasons why I decided to have the fund-raiser for cancer. To see so many young people with it, it breaks your heart," she told The Sunday Gleaner, noting that family and friends of her employees also had the life-threatening ailment.

"It's just a terrible disease that nobody seems to have the cure for. It was just getting to be an epidemic."

Dickson said she has been raising funds for the disease for the past four years every May.

"We entertain for it," said Dickson, who is the owner of Club 555, an exotic club in Washington, DC.

"We have a big show in the daytime. We do it on Sunday. You can't get in the place 'cause it's so crowded. They (exotic dancers) dance but they don't dance in the nude. They wear bikinis, dresses, long gowns, feathers. We did the last show on body paint."

Donated to cancer research

Over the years, she said money has been given to Children's National Medical Centre in Washington, DC, and to other places that do cancer research. Dickson said she helps "people that need the money to keep people alive, especially children".

Eventually, Dickson said she simply wants a cure for cancer to be found. And, "I want my daughter to get better. I want my sister to live 'cause she has such determination to live. She's amazing, she's my idol," she told The Sunday Gleaner.

In the meantime, Dickson is gearing up for the Miss Black Nude America Pageant, scheduled to be held at Hedonism II from today through to October 3. The contestants are exotic dancers from her club in Washington, DC.

"It's going to be fabulous, it's going to be great. They put their hearts and souls into it," she said.