STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- "You can do anything you want to do," Holly Bonner, a 2017 Woman of Achievement, told the contestants of the very first Miss Special Staten Island 2018.

Bonner was one of the four judges to participate in the first-ever pageant for women with various special needs and disabilities on Sunday afternoon. The Miss Special Staten Island Pageant, more than 40 years in the making, took over the Hilton Garden Inn in Bloomfield with host, Vinnie Medugno.

"I get to host a bunch of different shenanigans on [Staten Island] but nothing as great as today," Medugno said as he welcomed the crowd, full of friends and family, who gathered to support the contestants. "[These girls] are truly a population of amazing, amazing individuals who defy the odds and do everything probably better than most of us."

The pageant is the brainchild of Karyn Turner, of Kaleidoscope Mode, a non-profit. Turner took to the stage to say she has been trying to get this pageant up and running since she was crowned Miss Black Staten Island in 1972.

Hard work pays off: During the pageant, Turner received a plaque from a representative of Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis and an official document from Borough President James S. Oddo's office recognizing July 8 as "Miss Special Staten Island Day."

THE WINNERS CIRCLE

Here are the winners of the first-ever Miss Special Staten Island/Richmond County pageant.

Miss Special Staten Island: Emma Duke.

Miss Special Richmond County: Vernel Black.

Miss Special Richmond County Teen: Katie Marrow

Miss Special Staten Island Teen: Kaylee Weiber.

Runners up: Ja'Rae Fields, Sherrie Maness, Sophia Guido, Emma Efrosman and Lana Schulman. All nine contestants left with sashes and crowns.

THE JUDGE'S CORNER

The panel of judges consisted of Holly Bonner, Dolores N. Morris, Russell Cascardo and Dr. Gracelyn Santos, an Advance columnist.

"Today is about celebrating these young ladies for who they are," Santos said after explaining how the contestants' scores were calculated. In typical pageant manor, scores were generated by 25 percent interview, 15 percent sportswear, 35 percent talent and 15 percent evening-wear.

"We want the girls to be comfortable where they're at," Bonner said. "You might not see all the contestants being comfortable, but all that matters is they're trying."

For Cascardo, being the only male on the panel was nerve wracking. But the co-owner of Boutique Boutique in Richmond Valley says participating in this process has been a blessing.

"It's very heartwarming to see the girls and their different talents," Cascardo said. "I hope a lot of people see this and see what this organization has done to make these children feel special."

ENTERTAINMENT TIME

Lydia's School of Dance students and Vinnie Medugno performed throughout the event. To kick off the pageant, the contestants made their on-stage debut for a group dance.

Before the glitz and glam took hold, contestant Kaylee Weiber brought herself on stage to dance to "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction. Her and Sherrie Maness got the crowd moving with their high-energy, impromptu choreography.

Miss Black Staten Island 2018 winner Kalima McCollum, Miss Outstanding Teen Richmond Country Tatiana Santos Mroczek and Young Miss New York East Coast Madison DiMaio helped with pageant-day duties, like putting sashes on the contestants. DiMaio used the stage to share her struggle with epilepsy, calling the contestants "beautiful and inspiring."

For the talent portion of the pageant, the contestants showed off their dance moves and sang their hearts out. Some played the drums, performed cheer stunts and displayed photography.

Although she did not participate in the pageant as a contestant, Leigh Trezza showed off her musical talent singing Carol King's "Too Late" and "You're Still the One" by Shania Twain.

There were no tears from those who did not get a title: Contestants were all smiles as they walked off stage. In Turner's words: "Everyone deserves to be treated like a queen for a day."

And that they were.