Miss Georgia Pageant

On Thursday, Michelle, Amanda (my sister), and I went to a preliminary night of the Miss Georgia Pageant. We were there to support Miss Atlanta Rachel Evans, a former Miss AU. Rachel was the 4th runner-up to Miss Georgia last year, so we had a feeling she would do well at this year's competition.

The show started with a high school drumline coming down the aisles of the auditorium. They made their way onto the stage and played throughout the contestant introductions. It was interesting... There were 35 contestants is the Miss GA Pageant, and a bunch of girls in the Outstanding Teen Pageant as well, though I'm not sure how many.

The swimsuit competition started with Chasity Hardman, Miss GA 2008, singing and dancing to "Single Ladies." Loved it! There were also two body builders from a local gym that stayed on stage throughout the preliminary swimsuit competition. The girls came out in sarongs, which they then handed to one of the body builders. They were only on stage for a few seconds, much less time than we spent on stage at the Miss AL Pageant.

The talent competition was full of singers. There were a couple of piano players, and one or two dancers as well. Not much variety in the talent competition, but some girls with some definite talent! Rachel sang "Lately" in a navy liquid-beaded dress and did very well (totally should have won talent!).

In the evening gown competition, there were some great dresses, mostly Sherri Hill selections. Several girls wore dresses that I had considered wearing for the Miss Alabama Pageant. They must have gotten them from Lasting Impressions in Columbus! Once again, they were only on stage for a short amount of time, so it was difficult to judge their poise and grace.

Unfortunately, Rachel did not win the talent portion of her preliminary. She did however make Top 10! Overall, it was fun and entertaining night in the pageant world.

AU Summer Enrichment Program

Today I visited the students at the Auburn University Summer Enrichment Program. I met with the kids in the "Cloud Room," where they are learning about the season of winter. From 9:30 - 10:00 a.m. each day, the students have an optional recess time. I went to the class and encouraged all of the children to come play on the playround and get active. Many of the kids decided to come outside where we played games such as freeze tag, hula hoop, and Miss AU Says (a form of Simon Says!).

The visit was not only a lot of fun, but it also allowed me to promote my personal platform, Preventing Childhood Obesity. Through my platform I encourage children to live healthy lifestyles by eating right and being active. Recess time at the AU Summer Enrichment Program helped me to instill a love of physical activity in the kids.

I ended the visit by walking the kids back to their classroom. I posed for pictures and made many new friends. I autographed a picture for each child, hopefully making an impact on each young life. It was an exciting, fun-filled morning!

Children's Miracle Network

Children's Miracle Network (CMN) is a non-profit organization that raises funds for 170 children's hospitals around the country. Donations to CMN are used to fund medical care, research, and education that save and improve the lives of over 17 million children each year. CMN is a unique organization in which 100% of all donations go directly to local hospitals. Donations to CMN stay local, supporting children in the surrounding community.

CMN is the national platform of the Miss America Organization. Each contestant at the local, state, and national level of the pageant supports CMN through fundraising efforts. As Miss Auburn University, I have had the opportunity to support Children's Miracle Network at The Medical Center in Columbus, Georgia. This hospital provides care for children in Lee County, Alabama.

I have had the opportunity to support Children's Miracle Network in several ways over the last few months. As a contestant in the Miss AU Scholarship Pageant, I participated in Hope for the Holidays, a talent show featuring all of the contestants in the pageant. At the show I performed a baton twirling routine to a Mariah Carey Chirstmas song mix with two of the other contestants. All proceeds from the event went to support CMN and the Miss America Scholarship Fund.

After winning the title of Miss AU, I took a tour of the high risk nursery at Columbus Regional, The Medical Center. Mrs. Jennifer Joyner, CMN Director at The Medical Center, explained to me how CMN is helping to meet the needs of the hospital. Currently, the hospital is renovating the NICU, adding new beds for the infants. These Omni Giraffe Beds cost $35,000 each and around 10 are needed to complete the nursery. The beds offer more access to each child, allowing the doctors and nurses to provide much better care. Replacement parts for the older beds in the nursery are no longer available, making the need for new beds even more pressing.

I have also helped in various fundraising efforts in Auburn and Columbus. Each Spring IHOP holds its National Pancake Day during which they offer a free short stack of pancakes to every customer. In return for the free meal, customers are encouraged to make a donation to CMN. I was able to participate in National Pancake Day at two IHOP locations, one in Auburn and one in Columbus. I greeted customers, told them about CMN, and encouraged everyone to support the cause.

I also participated in Miracle Friday at The Medical Center. This is a one day fundraiser within the hospital. Doctors and staff throughout the hospital form groups and donate "baskets" of items to be auction off on Miracle Friday. The "baskets" are much more than just that - they are extravagant packages full of beach trips, spa days, and other amazing goodies. The day also included a bake sale, with which I was able to help out. Lunch was provided by Country's Barbeque, and I was able to also help by selling lunch tickets. All in all, over $30,000 was raised for CMN through Miracle Friday.

In conjunction with Miracle Friday, another CMN fundraiser was launched. In honor of his 50th birthday, Scott Resmeyer, owner of Country's Barbeque in Columbus, kicked off Scott's Ride for Miracles. Over the course of 2 weeks, Scott rode across 48 states on his motorcycle. He visited children's hospitals around the country and raised money for CMN in the process. I was present to cheer Scott on as he launched his ride from The Medical Center.

In April I held my own fundraiser for Children's Miracle Network and The Miss America Scholarship Fund. The Miracle Mile was a one-mile walk around the Auburn University campus. Students and community members came out to support the cause, and I was able to raise over $1,300 for two great organizations. We started the day with an event kickoff, complete with the AU Cheerleaders and Aubie. After the walk, refreshments were served and door prizes were awarded. Miss Alabama's Outstanding Teen, Avery Cooper, also came out to support the cause. It was a great event!

Children's Miracle Network is a great organization that makes miracles happen everyday. It is an honor to support this organization as Miss Auburn University!