Prelim #2

I feel like I’m losing track of my days while at Miss Oklahoma and am only following the schedule provided! The morning arrived with veery frightening news. Our feisty red coat, Donna Knight, suffered mini stroke while in the dorms last night. We are so fortunate that she was surrounded by red coats and contestants, including Brienne who is a nurse and was able to check all her vital signs to see how severe it was. I’m not sure how I missed the ambulance and fire trucks last night, but I could not be more thankful for the quick response. Please keep Donna in your thoughts and prayers as she recovers. Norma ensured me she was doing very well and would be back very soon.

Today began with talent rehearsals, which for me, were atrocious. It was my first time to sing on the Miss Oklahoma stage and while it was 90% empty, it was still daunting. Over the course of the day I took a lot of good advice and prayed with everyone I could get my hands on. Never have I felt more lifted up than I did today with the love and support of my pageant family – competitors, volunteers, family and friends.

After a rocky start, we ran through the show and were off to lunch provided by Mazzios. We then left for a very short stop by BounceU, where a fundraiser for CMN was being held. I love this event and wish we could have stayed longer. One of my students was able to come and her dream is to grow up to be a princess! I was over the moon to see her sweet face!

A little down time, a downtown dinner at McNellie’s, and a few rollers later we were ready for showtime! Each night I am blown away by our former titleholders, and the tapping trio was amazing! As my talent neared, I felt the peace within I had prayed for. As I worked through the song, I knew each moment was the best it could possibly have been and as I ended I was so overcome with pure joy! Thank you to everyone who prayed for me, and to Miss Shari who has shown me unconditional love and encouragement, and believed in me when I wasn’t sure of anything.

The official Miss Oklahoma twitter page tweeted pictures of our talents, and here is mine! Congratulations to Alex, Veronica and Brooklyn on your preliminary awards! We really are part of the BEST state pageant in the nation!

Full Hearts and Sticky Hands

IHOP is a great supporter of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, raising funds throughout the month of February for Miss America’s national platform. I was fortunate enough to volunteer on Saturday, February 11th at my hometown (Shawnee) IHOP for this wonderful cause. Though it was eleven degrees outside, the IHOP held a scent of warm pancakes and big hearts – ready to serve the children of Oklahoma!

People are my passion and I was so very excited to spend the chilly morning with the friendliest, kindest folks of small town Oklahoma. I met tiny people and big people – many in PreKindergarten. We obviously had a lot in common since I teach PreK! I debated the Thunder’s season with a kindergartener and 1st grader, hearing about their love for Kevin Durant and telling them why I adore James Harden. There was a three-year-old who burst into tears when she saw me across the room and refused to calm down until she could meet the “princess.” I made new friends in Kayla, Zoe, Caitlin, and several other kids who wanted to help other kids. One man told me that I didn’t look old enough to compete for Miss America – guess it’s time to look my age! Haha, how many people are trying to look older at the age of 22?! I know I say it a lot, but this job really is one of the greatest in the world.

I met not one, but TWO Miracle Kids – Maddie and Jayse. Maddie often travels to the Oklahoma City Children’s Hospital due to diabetes. She was dressed to the nines – fur boots, pink bag, long coat, and definitely ready to take on whatever came her way!

Jayse is from St.Louis, Oklahoma and helped me raise funds for CMN today. We sold paper balloons and glow-in-the-dark bracelets – nearly selling out completely! Jayse has PKU,  phenylketonuria. People with PKU are missing an enzyme called phenylalanine hydroxylase, which is needed to break down an essential amino acid called phenylalanine. The substance is found in foods that contain protein. (This was obviously googled so I would be able to explain it better!) Jayse cannot eat protein, making his condition difficult, yet manageable by diagnosing it early and with the right diet. He is a vegan, meaning he does not eat any byproduct of animals. While Jayse and his mom make this sound fairly easy, I am still completely amazed at his positivity and ability to live with PKU, yet still feel like he has a pretty normal childhood.

The commonality between Maddie and Jayse is their outlook. Jayse’s mom said that while PKU is not always easy, there are a lot of others who have much more serious circumstances. These kids are both full of joy and passion for life. Their optimistic attitudes put our own daily struggles into perspective. I do not have diabetes or PKU – and neither of these Miracle Kids are the type of person to complain, just because their day is a bit more unique. Looking at what they must face – needles and constant checking of life-changing food ingredients – things like traffic and work issues are not important, or even comparative. These two really are Miracle Kids and we could all learn from their example of a positive life.

Children’s Miracle Network

May is for Miracles and the perfect time to help a child through the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals! When I speak about the Miss America Organization, many are surprised to hear that the organization has a national platform, among the contestant’s platforms as well. Children’s Miracle Network and Miss America have teamed up for the past few years to provide mentors and funds to children’s hospitals across the nation.

CMN was founded partially by Marie Osmond (trivia for the day!), and you have probably seen their signature yellow balloon in many ad campaigns throughout America (above). As of this year, CMN hospitals have raised over $4.3 billion to help kids in every community. Children who benefit from CMN often have life-threatening illnesses including cancer or birth defects, but many are also treated for asthma, burns, broken bones or the flu. The most amazing aspect of CMN is that, while the organization often receives large donations, most funds are raised one or two dollars at a time.

An example of this is IHOP’s National Day of Pancakes. If you refer back to previous posts (A Syrupy Sweet Saturday, National Pancake Day) you’ll remember that IHOP helped fundraise nationwide for CMN hospitals. that day, participants could purchase bracelets or a paper balloon for just a few dollars to aid in the organization’s mission. Isn’t it amazing that donating one dollar can change a life in the big picture?

Right now, I am fundraising as a Miss Oklahoma contestant. My goal is $650 and I have raised $550! While only $100 shy of my goal donation, every dollar counts – and this is where I am asking you to join in my efforts. Please consider donating to the link below. As you’ve learned, every dollar counts and can make a huge difference in a child’s life. For more information, visit the link below or Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. 

DONATE HERE: CHILDREN’S MIRACLE NETWORK

Wings To Fly

Though it is only March 10th, this month has already been very busy! Last Friday I spent a great deal of time (9+ hours) with my fabulous hairdresser/make-up artist Larry Chowning and wonderful photographer, Leigh Thompson, to complete my headshots for Miss Oklahoma. We had so much fun and it was great to spend my “cheat day” eating cupcakes with them! I am beyond thrilled with how the pictures turned out and will be posting them as soon as the complete, cropped products are finished.

The photoshoot lasted late into the night and I made it back to Norman around 12:30 am. Normally, this wouldn’t have been any problem for a night owl like myself – but I intended to wake up at 4:45 am to prepare volunteering as Miss Sooner State. The Heartland Wings To Fly 5K/15K Miracle Run was held Saturday morning in El Reno. Being from an equally small town, I knew where El Reno was…sort of! It’s always been a big joke in my family that I could handle the responsibilities of Miss Oklahoma except one – navigation. Over time, I have learned to MapQuest my start and end points for an approximate length of time, and then leave 15-20 minutes earlier than the length it would take to complete the journey.

The run was set to begin at 7 am and I aimed to be early, therefore I left my house at 6 am. It was still dark outside! The wind whipped my little MINI all over the road, and I even called Talia AND Diane just to be sure I was taking the right exits and heading in the correct general direction. If you couldn’t tell, I’ve been lost a time or two! I finally made it to El Reno in one piece though. I had checked the weather before hand and it looked to be chilly so I wore jeans, boots, three shirts and a coat. Layered up, I headed to the volunteer center.

I was fortunate to spend the day with several friends including Miss Greater Oklahoma, Talia Berning and Miss Edmond Libertyfest, Damaris Pierce (who was crazy enough to run the 15K with half the layers I had on!), and my new teen queen friends Miss Oklahoma State Fair’s Outstanding Teen, Ashten Vincent,  and Miss Edmond Libertyfest’s Outstanding Teen, Clytee Burchett. Our job was to help runners who had not pre-registered sign up for the race. While there, we were fortunate to meet several supporters of Children’s Miracle Network and local officials, including the El Reno City Manager. After my dad served as Mayor of our hometown for four years, I have a huge respect for people who serve their towns and it was great to see the city supporting such a worthy cause.

The runners ranged from 10 years old to 60+! Though the weather was not on our side, the support poured in regardless. The temperature peaked at 29 degrees and the wind was easily 15-20 MPH – not ideal for an outdoors run (or when trying to keep the crown from flying off your head!). Historic Ft. Reno was perfect for the safety of our runners though, as it was secluded and held a long, straight 1.5 mile stretch of driveway, leading into the highway. To say we were all cold is an understatement. I could not feel my fingers, and my toes were also numb. BRRRR!

We volunteered from 7 am-9 am, and while I’m awful at numbers, there were definitely 75-100 runners! Though I was cold, the chill is nothing compared to what a child with a life-threatening disease faces. Not only did these runners wake up early on a Saturday morning, but they paid $25-$40 to run in freezing temperatures. All for one of the greatest causes which exists – to help Oklahoma’s sick children. At 9 am we relocated to the starting line to cheer on Damaris and the other runners. Later, I thawed out in the car and headed home to prepare for another event: the Red Tie Event benefitting HIV/AIDS in the search for a cure. I thought about it on my way home and perhaps next time I’ll be able to join the other supporters not only as a volunteer, but as a runner/walker! Wings To Fly was a fantastic success for CMN! There is nothing better than spending a morning volunteering for something you believe in.

National Pancake Day

On Tuesday, March 1st I celebrated National Pancake Day! As previously posted (A Syrupy Sweet Saturday), the Miss America Organization partners with IHOP to raise funds and awareness for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. On March 1st, IHOP offered a free short stack of pancakes to patrons, in exchange for a suggested donation to CMN. I know…how could I eat pancakes when they aren’t on my strategic food plan? That’s because I spent so much time working the event from 5-8 pm that I forgot to eat dinner! It could have been my “cheat day,” but I was so focused on selling the paper balloons and glow-in-the-dark bracelets that it slipped my mind until I got home.

First, let me just say that there is nothing which prepares you more for the job of Miss Oklahoma than actually going to various fundraisers/appearances (like IHOP) and talking to Oklahomans. I met a lot of people, and don’t worry – you’ll get to hear about several! You just never know what people will ask you or what they will say. (There’s a story for that too!) Everyone thinks you are Miss USA, Miss America or Miss Oklahoma when you have a crown on. Unfortunately, I am none of the above. Others will say “Hey! I saw you on tv at Miss USA!” As flattering as that is (it would be an honor to be mistaken for Miss Okahoma or Miss Oklahoma USA), I have to explain that while I hope they will see me on-screen in the future, that was another titleholder and not me! Communicating is one of my five strengths (Strength Finders) and one of the things I enjoy most about the job of Miss Sooner State. Last Tuesday was no exception!

On to the interesting people I met! When I first arrived at the Meridian IHOP, I was a bit worried since it was nearly empty! Luckily, the business was steady throughout the night and the donations to CMN kept pouring in! This is a new friend of mine! Tyler ( left) is from New York and was visiting his dad who is stationed at Fort Sill. His mom bought a bracelet and Tyler asked me to hang out while he finished his short stack of pancakes. He is in the third grade and is learning how to write in cursive. His mom had just flown back to Oklahoma to pick him up and take him back to Northern New York. He said he would be sure to watch for me on the Miss America stage. 🙂

This cute little thing on the right is Max. If I ever have a boy (Lord knows I wouldn’t know what to do with one!) I hope he is just like Max! He is in Kindergarten and his favorite part of school is snack time. I’ll have to remember that when I have a class next year! Max was in awe of the glow-in-the-dark bracelet his dad purchased for him and kept jumping under the table to see if it still worked. He asked me if we could have a sleepover at IHOP because he wanted to stay there forever! Haha, then he added that all he needed to get from home was his toothbrush (I’m sure his dentist loves him!). He was so sweet and had most definitely never met a stranger.

This is Honor and Mariah! They were at a huge table with their three brothers, parents and extended family. When I spoke with their dad, I found out that he works with Character Counts in Edmond – Miss Oklahoma, Emoly West’s platform! He was very familiar with the Miss Oklahoma Organization and inquired about my own platform, what I do with it, my talent, and how I became involved with the system. These girls were very fun and were in a race to finish their dinner! Honor really wanted to show off her pretty smile here!! CHEESE!

The last two customers I took a picture with were Ty and his sister Danielle. This brother and sister were with their mom and I was able to spend a lot of time getting to know them. She is 8 and he is 4, another Pre-K kid! When I asked Ty what his favorite part of school was, he said playing on the playground. I asked him what made a teacher “cool” since I’ll be teaching this Fall and wanted to win over my students. He said the playground was his favorite part of the day and if his teacher played on the playground she would be really cool. He was fairly confused as to why I had a crown on my head, but I explained how I won the title and Danielle had a question for me. “Are you in beauty pageants?” she asked. “No, I compete in scholarship pageants,” I said. “Do you want me to explain how a scholarship pageant works?” Her mom jumped in and told her that I won a lot of money, but it was all to pay for school. “Oh,” Danielle said. “I know the difference.” Her mom and I watched as Danielle then added, very matter of factly, “Beauty pageants are where they show their assets.” Needless to say, “assets” was not Danielle’s word of choice! Her mom couldn’t decide if it was humorous or horrifying! Haha, I made sure to explain that televised pageants do not consist of any portion which allows a contestant to show more than necessary. When speaking with kids as a titleholder, one things is very important to remember – expect the unexpected!

At the end of the night, I had visited with hundreds of customers and collected a grand total of $174.00! It’s really amazing to think of how many contestants and IHOP’s across the country were working that evening to raise funds for Children’s Miracle Network and if I could collect $174.00, not including the donations from the free pancakes, I can only imagine what the overall total could be! I look forward to fundraising again for Children’s Miracle Network, and hopefully next year I’ll remember to celebrate correctly  by eating a short stack of pancakes!