Mr. South Whidbey sets a record
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, October 7, 2025
There’s a new Mr. South Whidbey on the throne, and his name is Isaac Leitz.
This year marked the 20th anniversary of Mr. South Whidbey, the male pageant that is a major fundraiser for Friends of Friends Medical Support Fund, a nonprofit that helps pay medical expenses for those who can’t afford it. The five contestants this year raised a record-breaking amount of over $72,000, far surpassing the $40,000 from last year’s competition.
Jenny Staats, a board member for Friends of Friends, said emcees Christian Albright and Victor Ramos, two former contestants, did a fantastic job with their comedic banter and their own version of the question-and-answer segment.
“The talent portion of the night showed what a diverse group of contestants we had, everything from circus acts, stand up comedy, lip syncing, animal taming and dad jokes,” she said.
Other competitors this year included Ken Stange, Nathen Wilkie, Jeremie Canty and Tim Leonard, the 2024 winner.
Leitz, a physical therapist from Freeland, received the most votes by raising the most money, earning him the highly coveted crown. During the sold-out pageant on Saturday, Oct. 4, Leitz strutted his stuff, unicycled, hula-hooped and chopped his way to victory, according to his wife Karen.
During the special talent portion of the evening, Leitz dressed as a clown, shedding layers of clothing with assistance from his wife, to the sound of lively circus and Metallica music. He described chopping logs with razor sharp axes.
“I am so grateful for the incredible community we live in,” Leitz said. “The support provided to each and every Mr. South Whidbey contestant is a true testament to our culture of caring for one another. It makes our community such an amazing place to call home.”
He went on to add that South Whidbey is fortunate to have had such a visionary, the late Lynn Willeford, who founded Friends of Friends in the spirit of community members supporting one another.
