I love being back in Missouri!

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it yet, but I am so happy to be back in Missouri after Miss America! There have been so many amazing events that I have been able to be a part of! One of these events was with the St. Louis Chapter of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. I have spent many hours volunteering for the organization, speaking at various events and health fairs across the city and I was invited as a special guest at their Orchid Affair. The orchid is the symbol of the ball because it is one of the flowers to which no one is allergic. AAFA’s Orchid Affair is a premiere event founded in 1991 by a group of concerned volunteers including the late Whitney and Jane Freund Harris. The evening began at the Chase Park Plaza in the Central West End with a cocktail hour and a silent auction. It was then followed by a sit-down dinner with live auction and entertainment. I was fortunate to be placed at a table with some of my favorite people that I spent the day with on the “Asthma Bus” (Heathy Kids Express) from St. Louis Children’s Hospital. We enjoyed each others company, conversations, and great food! It was an extremely successful event this year raising money to help raise awareness for the disease and directly help children and their families that are affected. Thank you to the fabulous sponsors, auction donors, committee members, volunteers, and guests who came out and supported the great cause!

February 26th was a very special evening! In 2008 I held the local title of Miss Tulsa County while I was going to school at OCU. The following year, the Miss Tulsa County title ceased to exist. In 2009 I held the local title of Miss Mid-Missouri and would have never guessed that in 2010 there would be no Miss Mid-Missouri. Do you see a trend beginning to establish? I officially broke the streak by crowning the next Miss Gateway St. Louis last October, however at Miss America I was informed that the Miss Tulsa County Pageant would be making a comeback this year, and was so thrilled when I found out that the tradition of Miss Mid-Missouri would also be returning! Unfortunately, as I found out, both pageants would take place on the same evening. I have had Miss Mid-MO on my calendar of events since day one and I was so excited to be back in Waynesville! It was such an eventful weekend full of rehearsals, interviews, a Little Miss Pageant, and then of course the Outstanding Teen and Miss Pageants! I had so much fun performing, choreographing the opening number, and hanging out with all of the contestants throughout the weekend, especially those Little Miss Contestants.  Congratulations to the new Miss Mid-Missouri: Kari Gai, Miss Tri-Counties: Lauren Alumbaugh, Miss Southern Central: Seanica Reineke and Miss Pulaski Outstanding Teen: Samantha Caraway. Simultaneously the new Miss Tulsa County 2011, Ashley Wheeler, was being crowned just a few hundred miles west on I-44! What an exciting  night!

 

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