THE GLOBE'S
CINDERELLA

The new Mrs. Globe Valbona Selimllari from Albania.

Latvia: a land of music, flowers, and song. A country where a newly paved street is called "A Queen" and where the new queen of the world was crowned Mrs. Globe 1999.

On September 10, 1999, at the historic Latvian National Opera House, in front of millions of live and TV-viewing spectators, 28-year-old Valbona Selimllari, Mrs. Albania (from Tirana), became the fourth Mrs. Globe. It is the first world title for the country of Albania! Valbona was crowned by Ieva Bondare, the 1998 titleholder from the country of Latvia.

"The whole country of Albania came to tears when we saw her crowned," said Vera Grabocka, the director of Mrs. Albania. "She is now called the Cinderella of Albania." Valbona was also selected as the photogenic winner.

A true Cinderella story it is. The luggage of the new Mrs. Globe never arrived, leaving her without a gown, swimsuit, or shoes for the competition. "I did not worry; I was here to have fun. The ladies were wonderful. Between them, I found a wardrobe... including shoes that fit for the show," Valbona explained.

The media in Latvia did a 100-day countdown to Mrs. Globe, with 15 minutes of video coverage every night 100 days prior to the live telecast, with each titleholder (and her country) highlighted throughout the coverage. During the actual live three-hour international telecast, 36 countries from around the world were represented. Tracy Kemble, President of the Mrs. Globe Organization (and Mrs. Globe '96), along with the reigning Mr. Latvia (Gatis Pedersen), hosted the event.

Mrs. Spain assists one of many orphaned children as part of the WIN-Mrs. Globe Children's Charity Program.

At the international level, Mrs. Globe serves not only as quality television entertainment in celebration of beauty, marriage, and family, but also as a cultural arts and charity outreach for children. The outreach is called the "Mrs. Globe / WIN International Children's Charity Program." This year in Latvia, Mrs. Globe raised money for orphaned children and sent 60 under-privileged children to school.

During the 11-day event, international delegates (ranging from ages 19-45, newlyweds to grandmothers, models to surgeons) participated in a diversity of events. They attended fund raisers to send poverty-stricken children to school, were the honored guests in cities throughout the Baltic country, and had the opportunity to meet the woman who is now the President of Latvia, Vaira Vike-Freiberga. During the meeting with President Vike-Freiberga each delegate planted a tree in honor of their own country at the President's Palace.

The many and diverse married women throughout the globe competed in Personal Interview, National Costume, Swimsuit, and Evening Gown. From there, the Top 12 delegates were to be announced, but due to a tie, 13 were announced. They were: Mrs. Ukraine, Mrs. United States, Mrs. Albania, Mrs. Great Britain, Mrs. Latvia, Mrs. British Virgin Islands, Mrs. Turkey, Mrs. Greece, Mrs. Azerbaijan Mrs. Belorussia, Mrs. Lebanon, Mrs. Spain, and Mrs. South Africa.

Over the course of the night, the Top 13 were narrowed to the Top 5: Valbona Selimllari (Mrs. Albania), Dominiki Kefalopulu (Mrs. Greece), Claude Tabet Attie (Mrs. Lebanon), Tetyana Chernyshova (Mrs. Ukraine), and Sabrina Dubyak (Mrs. United States).

During the final on-stage Interview, these five contenders were asked the same question: "What one thing would you take from this century to the next?" The new Mrs. Globe answered, "My country has suffered so much during this century that I would not like to take anything. Instead, I want to begin the next century with peace and love. If we have this, we have everything... really."

Mrs. Globe '99-2000 has been married for three years. She is 5'6" and has black hair and black eyes. Currently working in Albanian television, Valbona is a graduate of the Academy of Dramatic Arts (Tirana) and is preparing to study for her Masters in Business. The President of Mrs. Globe added, "She is not only very beautiful, but she is very talented as well. She sings beautifully, dances beautifully, and speaks three languages -- Albanian, Italian, and English."

The international runners-up for the coveted title were: 4th R/U Tetyana Chernyshova (Kiev, Ukraine); 3rd R/U Sabrina Dubyak (Georgia, USA); and 2nd R/U Claude Tabet Attie (Beirut, Lebanon). The competition came down to two ladies, Mrs. Greece and Mrs. Albania, both who became close friends during the event. The Master of Ceremonies made the final announcement: "First Runner-up is Mrs. Greece (Dominiki Kefalopulu from Athens) which means, Mrs. Albania, you are the new Mrs. Globe!"

During the crowning, international recording artist Ardit Gjebrea debuted the new Mrs. Globe song which will go on sale throughout the United States. The proceeds of the song will be donated to orphaned children in Albania.

The competition was televised live on TV 1 in Latvia and then delayed broadcast to Russia, the former Soviet Union, the Baltics, North America, parts of South America, and to the Middle East.

As Mrs. Globe, Valbona (whose nickname is Bobby -- pronounced Boe-bee) will travel to many countries, including Latvia, Estonia, Singapore, England, Portugal, and the United States. In addition to the travel, she also won an excellent prize package, including cash, a new wardrobe, fine jewelry, and most importantly, according to Tracy Kemble, "a pair of Cinderella shoes fitting only for a real lady, Mrs. Globe '99-2000, the Cinderella of Albania... and now the Globe."

PHOTO BY JURIS LUKASEVICS