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.
Miss South OKC 