Miss Mid Missouri

Children's Mercy Hospital

2011-05-11T09:27:00.000-07:00

As a local ambassador for Children's Miracle Network, I have been able to be very involved in money raising efforts and spreading awareness. One of my biggest joys in life is being able to spend time with kids; therefor, through my efforts with CMN of Greater Kansas City I was able to team up with some volunteers at Children's Mercy Hospital. Children's Mercy is just one of the many children's hospitals that helps to save children's lives.

Children's Mercy Hospital, located in downtown Kansas City, provides a volunteer program called Monday Night Live. Every Monday they have volunteers design an activity to do with the kids. This allows several of the patients to get out of their rooms and do something to take their minds off of the reason they are there.

On my Monday Night Live session I decided to decorate flower pots and plant flowers to brighten up the kid's hospital rooms. I thought that this would be a fun idea so that the kids would watch the plants get bigger and bigger everyday.

After our flower pots were finished I was able to enjoy some one on one time with several of the kids. Many of the kids enjoyed animals so we rolled out some large drawing paper and drew zoos! The kids had a blast and I enjoyed spending time with them.

Due to security measures at the hospital, I was not able to take photos of any of the patients.

Appreciation

2011-05-11T07:12:00.000-07:00

I caught word yesterday of a director who is retiring his duties. This director has been a huge inspiration for me and continues to motivate me with his kind heart, words, and actions.
I want to express my gratitude to this wonderful director and thank him for all of his support. His encouragement and time means so much to me and I know I would not be the young lady I am today without him as a part of my Miss Missouri family.

Motivating me every day!

Thank you so much and know that I am absolutely honored to have had the opportunity to work with you over the past two years.

Greater Kansas City Day!

2011-05-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

This experience has to be one of my most memorable, by far! I was invited back to participate as a Kansas City Celebrity for Greater Kansas City day! This year I invited Miss KC, Alexis and Miss Greater KC, Carolyn to come with me. Alexis and Carolyn joined me before the sun came out and we headed to the Hyatt at Crown Center. Once we arrived we were greated by several other Kansas City celebrities.

Along with the band, we boarded our trolley bus to hit the streets of Kansas City. On this day a trolley full of "KC Celebrities" and numerous other volunteers stood on street corners to raise money to assist underpriveledged kids to go to camp. Last year we raised so much money that we were able to help over 40 kids attend summer camp!

Selling newspapers and donuts with the Kansas City Chiefs punter, Dustin Colquitt

(notice that the sun finally came out!)

This event is sponsored by the Rotary Club of downtown Kansas City.

The whole "celebrity" gang!

Bud is always a delight!

Can you tell we're having fun?

One of the reasons this event is so memorable is because of my good friend Bobby Bell. Bobby is a NFL Hall of Famer that used to play for the KC Chiefs! Last year, Bobby and I hit it off pretty well and it was definitely a treat getting to catch up with him again. He is a hoot!

When the event ended we all headed to breakfast at the Hyatt Crown Center! During the breakfast we were greeted by the head of the entire place!! A few months ago I was invited to speak at a Celiac Conference at the Hyatt and he remember me. I quickly learned that he too has been diagnosed with Celiac Disease and his entire hotel now serves gluten free foods!

After breakfast we all headed to take a quick nap before beginning our volunteer celebrity tailgate at the Opening Day at the K! The Kansas City Royals pulled out a win for their first game of the season and we enjoyed cheering for them.

Change for Children!

2011-05-05T11:38:00.000-07:00

I had a great time at the annual Mix for Kids Children's Miracle Network Radiothon! I joined Miss Kansas City, Alexis, and hit the streets to collect change for Children's Miracle. Each day Alexis and I set a goal to raise at least $150.00 before heading back to the Mix 93.3 station.

We are great at learning how to dodge traffic and must have looked cold because we were invited into several businesses! I'd like to send out a special thank you to Angie at Granite City in Zona Rosa. Angie invited us into her store and allowed us to speak to her customers. We immediately were involved in conversations with several customers and I enjoyed the opportunity to educate them about the importance of Children's Miracle.

As always, it was a blast working with Ile, and the rest of the staff at Children's Miracle Network of Greater KC!

The life of a pageant contestant.

Sisterhood

2011-05-05T11:32:00.000-07:00

On March 26th I traveled to Mexico, MO for Miss Missouri Orientation! We have a wonderful group of girls this year and I cannot wait to spend the week with them. During this time I was able to pick up my Miss Missouri little sister, Kayla, to take her out for ice cream. Kayla and I have been "sisters" for about five years now! I have loved being able to watch her grow up and mature into the young lady she has become. We chatted over ice cream and even got to see each other the next morning at orientation.

Motivation

2011-05-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

Directly after my radio interview I headed for Southeast Kindergarten School in Warrensburg, MO. I had the opportunity to visit several classes to speak with them about goals and how I made it to be Miss Mid-Missouri. I also answered a wide range of questions from "how do you sleep with the crown on?" to "do you have a cow print bowling ball?". The students were adorable and I loved all of the hugs I received.

When my time was over at Southeast I headed for Sterling Elementary school. At Sterling I spoke to several 4th and 5th grade classes and also got a lot of questions from them! I especially enjoyed one of these classrooms because the educator used to be on one of my preparation boards for Miss Missouri. I loved getting to see her and catch up briefly.

When I left Sterling, I went to Martin Warren Elementary School. This appearance was very special to me because they have a few students with Celiac Disease (my platform)! I absolutely loved speaking with the student's classes to explain why some of their friends cannot eat birthday cake with them on their birthdays and can't have a school pizza party. The students enjoyed what I had to say and all wanted an autograph. I love these classes the most because it serves as more motivation for me to further education about my platform.

After speaking with the class I received a letter from the mother of one of the Celiac students, thanking me for educating the students and supporting her daughter. This is a constant reminder for me as to how important it is to spread awareness.

Radio Interview

2011-05-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

On March 22nd I greatly accepted the opportunity to do an interview on the radio. I joined my favorite interview host, Woody on KOKO 1450. Woody and I were able to talk about the Miss America Organization, many service events in which I've been involved, and of course, my platform. We had a wonderful discussion and I look forward to my next interview with him!

Special Olympics Basketball State Championship!

2011-05-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

Directly after the expo, I jumped in my car and traveled to Kansas City for the Special Olympics State Basketball Championship tournament! It was a rainy day, but with the amount of teamwork, support and hard work put forth it seemed bright to everyone in attendance.

When I arrived, I was greeted by the Park Hill team. This happened to be an all boys team and they were so eager to get my autograph picture. They played a great game and won their round! After watching their game I was able to travel to a few other gymnasiums in the building and see a few other teams competing for their division championship.

After that round of games I headed to the auditorium for awards. I had the wonderful opportunity to join a few police officers and award the winners. We pinned on ribbons and were able to put medals around the players necks. One of my favorite teams was Wentzville, MO. This team had amazing sportsmanship and were so greatful to be standing on the stage. I received several hugs and even a kiss on the cheek!

I loved this event and cannot wait until next year!

Warrensburg KOKO Expo

2011-03-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday I had the opportunity to attend the Warrensburg KOKO expo. The expo was filled with organizations, small businesses, and a lot of people from across the state of Missouri. I was able to experience several events from marketing the Miss Missouri Organization to learning to shoot a bow and arrow!!!

I hit it!

This event was definitely exciting for me because I grew up in Warrensburg. I got to see a few old friends and some others who didn't recognize me until after I autographed a photo for them and they read my name!

Scarlett O'Hatters

2011-03-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, March 12th, I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with the Scarlett O'Hatters of Johnson County. Growing up in Johnson County, this appearance will definitely hold a special place in my heart. We were able to talk over lunch and I got to learn about all of their upcoming events and interests. When we finished lunch it was time for my presentation!
I told the ladies about the Miss Missouri Organization and all that it has done for me. I discussed the importance of service and shared some of the service events in which I have been involved. They loved hearing about Celiac Disease and the strides I have made in creating an awareness.

One of my favorite parts of visiting with these ladies was being able to speak with one of my 6th grade teachers! We talked about how much I had changed and were able to laugh at the fact that I used to be such a tom-boy!

A huge thank you to Miss Jean! She is such a sweetheart and truly one to look up to.

Last but not least, I LOVED hearing their "Princess" names and of course, seeing their gorgeous hats. Each lady has created a meaningful duchess name for herself. They wear their name-tags proudly and shared them with me! It was such an honor to be able to speak with and learn from these lovely Red Hatters

Chowin' Down for Children

2011-03-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

National Pancake Day at IHOP was a blast! The International House of Pancakes provided hungry visitors with a free short-stack of pancakes on March 1st, 2011. In return, several of those visitors made donations to Children's Miracle Network.

I had opportunity to visit with customers and explain the importance of Children's Miracle Network and the link with the Miss America Organization. All of the donations made will stay directly in the Kansas City area, where I was able to visit several different IHOPs.

Not only did I visit with the customers but I was also able to assist in serving and flipping some flapjacks!

The day was definitely a success (even after a little girl told me that I smelled like pancakes, haha)!

Miss Mid-Missouri 2011

2011-03-15T08:41:00.000-07:00

Wow! I am so blessed to have such wonderful support from my family and friends. I was recently crowned Miss Mid-Missouri and cannot be more excited to see what this year has in store for me. A new door has opened and I am ready to embrace every second to the fullest.

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

2010-12-21T14:23:00.000-08:00

Life with diabetes can be extremely difficult for many. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, JDRF, of Kansas City recently teamed with Worth Harley Davidson in order to raise money for Diabetes research. Worth Harley Davidson donated two "sweet rides"!

The first event was a concert by Saliva at the Power and Light District. Those who attended the concert bought raffle tickets to try and win a bike and a truck.

Big News!

2010-12-21T12:52:00.000-08:00

Shortly after Miss Missouri, I received a very kind letter from the Celiac Disease Foundation in Los Angeles. They offered me a position as the National Celiac Spokesperson, in which I graciously accepted.

Gluten Free is the way to be!

Miss Missouri 2010

2010-12-21T08:40:00.000-08:00

Wow! It has been quite some time since I last updated. After Miss Missouri I stayed busy with appearances and began teaching again.

Here is some of what I've been up to...

Beginning with Miss Missouri 2010-

The ladies of Miss Missouri 2010

My wonderful KC directors

Talent Competition

Being called for the Top Talent award

And Top Swimsuit!!

Evening gown competition with my Miss MO little sis, Kayla

Being called into the Top 10!

My nephew Mason enjoyed watching his first pageant!

A HUGE thank you to all of my family, friends and sponsor for their support!

After Miss Missouri I spent some much needed time with friends and family and was able to relax at the lake!

I also got to model for Cobalt Boats with Miss Pulaski, Tippe Emmot. We had a blast!

Learn and Live

2010-05-25T07:32:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that I will be competing for the title of Miss Missouri 2010 in less than 2 weeks! My schedule has been busy, and it is definitely not lightening up anytime soon! I would never be able to keep up with this hectic lifestyle if it were not for the support of my family, friends, board members and wonderful volunteers who have helped me along the way. From the moment that I was crowned Miss Kansas City in February, I knew that this year was going to be a special one. I have created so many memories that I will never forget. I have learned so much from everyone that I have encountered along my journey to become Miss MO 2010 and I want to extend a heart warming thank you.

Most recently, I met several heart cancer survivors at the Start! Heart Walk Kansas City 2010. These survivors taught me what it is like to learn and live strong. I was amazed to see how many survivors were under the age of 15 and that they were walking to raise money for something that once affected the future of their lives. As I arrived at the walk, I was immediately shipped to the Kid Zone to sign autographs.

While I was there I was greeted by a good friend of mine, Chief's mascot, KC Wolf! KC and I have done several appearances together and I have had the opportunity to get to know him personally.

For those of you that know me, I cannot sit and watch kids playing... I have to get involved in the festivities! Since I was a child, I have always had a love for children. Since there were a ton of hula hoops, I decided we should have a contest!!

(I used this picture to help explain to my middle school students how the forces of gravity work- look at my hula hoop!!!)

After mingling with some of the kids, it was time for the opening ceremonies of the Heart Walk. As we began the stage announcements, I noticed someone waving at me. I immediately waved back with a smile. As this person continued to wave at me and dance around, I soon realized it was my brother, Jimmy! He was running sound for the entire event!

Such a goof! What would I do without the support of my awesome family??

Once the ceremonies ended it was time to meet some of the survivors.

Heart survivors! They were all provided with red survivor hats from Shawnee Mission Medical Center.

Before the walk could begin we all took a moment to think about those that lost their battle with heart disease and stroke.

It was during this time when I truly began to realize the impact that a healthy lifestyle has on community members in the KC area. I learned that the Heart Walk is the largest fundraising event that focuses on exercise as an important part of a heart-healthy lifestyle. Over $1,000,000 was raised on Saturday for America's number 1 and 3 killers, heart disease and stroke.

Walkers were able to choose between a one mile or a four mile route around Theis Park on the Plaza. Over 12,000 walkers of corporate teams and individuals joined together to reach the goal of $1.25 million. The mission of the American Heart Association is to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

As the day continued I met so many gracious supporters and was able to thank them for volunteering their time to the American Heart Association.

This woman says that I am her good luck charm! She was convinced that after meeting me, I brought her good luck.

Theis Park served as a wonderful area for the walk!

Once a majority of the walkers returned, I was back in the Kid Zone!

I LOVE hugs!!

The Kids Zone was a blast and I loved hearing about all of the princess crowns the girls had at home! As you can tell, I got a great thigh work out on this day....

This little sweetheart saw me out of the corner of her wagon and literally leapt at me!! Luckily, I was able to catch her just in time for a big hug.

I was also able to visit with the Blue Bell cow!

The walk was a success and KC volunteers got in a great day full of fun and exercise!

Directly after the Heart Walk I took off for my next appearance, the Just for Her Expo in Overland Park! The Expo was filled with ladies who came out to treat themselves to some fun. Some of the expo activities included; a bachelor auction, boutique crawl, fashion show, pamper lounge, prizes, tasting tables, over 250 booths of services and shopping, and of course, yours truly!

When I arrived I was greeted by my good friends from Mix 93.3, we were also together at the Heart Walk that morning! I was immediately handed a script and t-shirt to get ready for the fitness portion of the Expo. Fitness is a major part of my life and I wanted to help promote a healthy lifestyle of all of the women there. This particular day I was promoting kc180fitness, run by Kri Chay. Kri and my trainer, Dorn Lovan have assisted me with my nutrition and fitness a great deal in the past few months. A group of their boot camp girls and I were up on stage, presenting a skit about making time to work out and the benefits of kc180fitness. After the skit, we presented a short segment of work outs.

Kickboxing!!

Believe me, working out with the crown on can definitely be a challenge!

After the skit and short workout segment, I was able to visit with the "expo-ers"!

Signing autographs!

While at the Expo, I was able to meet a wonderful young lady who was interested in pageants. She was such a sweetheart and I was able to recruit her! Watch out teen contestants, you definitely won't miss her this year! Although she lives in Kansas, she will still be a great asset to this organization.

Also, if anyone out there is looking for a great way to get in shape, feel free to contact Dorn Lovan!!! He has worked wonders for me. You can read all about him on his website: http://www.iamoneup.com/ and also check me out on his client spotlight!

Sunday brought more preparations for Miss Missouri! My sister queens are I are extremely lucky to have a wonderful support group at our send off party and wardrobe showing in Platte City! We are pictured here in our opening number dresses with our fabulous directors, Angie Young and Tim Collins, along with our photographer Megan Knott.

Service Above Self

2010-05-25T07:03:00.000-07:00

I was honored to speak for the KCI Rotary Club last Wednesday at the KCI Convention Center ballroom!

After visiting and enjoying a wonderful lunch, I was welcomed with open arms to present my speech. During this time, I explained what the Miss Missouri Organization is all about and what it means to me. Twenty minutes quickly passed and I offered the smiling faces a chance to ask some questions. Little did I know, but they were very intrigued by what I had to say! They asked several questions and eventually it turned into an interview type setting.

They asked everything from the differences between Miss USA and Miss America to the 7 year old Beyonce video on youtube! They were definitely a fun group to speak with and I felt that I formed several connections with the members.

During the meeting, I was also able to gain new information about rotarians. This particular Rotary Club has been focusing on ways that they can allow community members to benefit from their services. They have recently provided several large scholarships to high school seniors in nearby schools. It was a great feeling to know that I was in the presence of others who enjoy community service as much as I do.

As the meeting came to an end I had a chance to individually speak with several of the members. Some members asking me to speak at other events and other members that still had several questions. One spunky Rotarian came to me and told me that my shoes were "rockin' awesome" and was in awe with the crown. All she wanted to do was touch the crown, and believe me, she got her opportunity!

By sitting in a meeting with a group of people, you begin to learn a lot about each of them. This was a wonderful group of Rotarians and I could tell that their fun loving attitudes are what help to make them such a positive club. There was a wide range of diversity within this club and I feel that I walked away with several new friends.

"Friendship is a natural and willing servant...There is no reason...why the great power of friendship should not be harnessed to do its part in the world's work."

-Report of the President, 1912 Rotary Convention, MN, USA

Inspiration.

2010-05-24T12:46:00.000-07:00

The students are Hawthorne Elementary School are definitely phenomenal! I had the privilege of visiting the school in the Park Hill district and speaking to students, K-5, about being respectful citizens and goal setting. As I began to speak at the 5th grade assembly, a hush fell over the students. Normally the students have so many questions that they wiggle around with an eager face. I was quite impressed with the respect the students provided me with as I spoke to them and encouraged them to get involved in 6th grade. When it came time for the question session, I was worried that the students would be shy and not have many questions; however, I was shocked when all of their questions were well thought through and very knowledgeable.

The students were so well behaved that I decided to throw in a fun team building activity for them. Since we were talking about working together and being respectful to others, I thought it would be best to participate in the human knot! The kids loved it!!!

They continued to listen to directions and we decided to have the teams race to see who could unscramble faster without talking.

The groups worked together very well!!

After we completed the activity, I began to reinforce the main points of my presentation. All of the students were so grateful and I cannot wait to visit again.

After the assembly for the 5th graders, I began to visit the classrooms of several other grades. I provided those students with a shorter speech, answers to their questions and of course, autographs!!

One of my favorite parts of the day was during my visit to the special education wing of the school building. Growing up, I found it difficult to accept the fact that my uncle had a mental handicap. After being inspired by the book The Man who Loved Clowns by Missouri author, June Rae Wood, I began to develop a special love for people with disabilities. Unfortunately, my uncle can no longer talk, but he definitely loves to smile at us when we visit. I tried to make the most out of my time with these students because they continue each day with a smile on their face. This became my inspiration.

They have absolutely no cares! Many of the children showed me that they live a life of happiness and it is filled with laughter in which I was able to experience with them.

One of the BEST huggers I know!

I will definitely never forget my trip to Hawthorn Elementary. A huge thank you goes out to the staff and administration for contacting me and allowing me to experience their wonderful students.

-The more difficulties one has to encounter, within and without, the more significant and the higher in inspiration his life will be. Horace Bushnell

National Celiac Convention

2010-05-20T10:09:00.000-07:00

Speechless-

Words cannot explain the feeling of receiving a standing ovation. The feeling is simply overwhelming!

When I received an e-mail from Elaine Monarch asking me to speak at the Celiac Conference, I was in shock! I could not find a better outlet to promote my platform and create awareness. I immediately asked my sister, Angela, to travel with me. Ang also has celiac disease so I knew it would be something in which she was interested. However, I do not know who in the right mind would allow the two of us to travel alone! We had an absolute BLAST!!!

We arrived at the KCI airport on Thursday (Ang's bday!!) to take off for LA. Our flight was delayed for over 4 hours, so we decided to make the best of it. People you meet in the airport are very interesting, and I will say, we met our fair share of different people. Everyone we sat with in the airport had so many different views on life and it really got me thinking. One person we met had won 2 Emmy's and another was in the US Airforce (we had quite some time to visit). I encourage you to visit with people next time you travel!! You never know who you'll find :o)

We finally arrived in Los Angeles and were ready to sightsee a little bit before my duties took place. We walked on Hollywood Boulevard and saw some gorgeous homes. We were tempted to shop on Rodeo Dr., but instead our journey led us into Beverly Hills.

Our sightseeing time was cut short, but for good reason! We caught a cab back to the hotel just in time for the Celiac Volunteers Conference. I went over my speech in the elevator and walked in with confidence. Everyone at this meeting had such positive feelings toward Celiac disease. It was truly inspiring.

I began to speak about the importance of spreading the Celiac word and what volunteering does for our communities. I thanked the volunteers for all of their time and support with the Celiac Disease Foundation and let them know that they are not alone. When wrapping up my 20 minute speech, I told all 50 Celiac volunteers (one from every state) that I was proud to have Celiac Disease. I later learned that this statement left a greater impact on their lives than I ever could have imagined. When I finished speaking, it seemed that everyone had questions or wanted to visit with me so we took a break. It was difficult to speak with everyone during the short break, but I met some phenomenal people.

It is incredible to see how much networking took place at this meeting! I was asked to speak at several other statewide conferences within a matter of minutes. It was also very intriguing to know that everyone has been effected differently by Celiac disease.

This gentleman has a grandson with Celiac disease and attends school in Missouri. He is 9 years old and is having a lot of problems at school with bullies, because of Celiac. They asked if I would be willing to speak at an assembly for the school-- I am soooo there!!!
Once the conference was over, my sister and I met up with Lacey Fitzgerald, Miss Missouri 2008!!! I haven't seen Lacey since February, so we definitely had some catching up to do. Lacey and Pat took us to Takami, a wonderful sushi restaurant. Pat wanted Ang and I to try some some different types of sushi... so we agreed.

I'm sure that one can tell that by the looks of our faces we were not too fond of the texture at first...

Overall, we had a great time with Lacey and Pat- and with the new sushi adventure!

Saturday morning arrived and it was finally time for the long awaited convention!! As I entered the Grand Ballroom (to which they opened the saloons on all sides to expand), I was overwhelmed by the size and amount of people present. It was amazing to see how many people were there with Celiac disease and wanted to learn more. All of the people I met were so supportive and welcoming. Before I knew it, it was my turn to speak. Surprisingly enough, I was not nervous at all! I can thank the Miss Missouri Organization for all of that!

Waiting patiently to speak!!

The founder of CDF surprised me with her introduction! It was one of the sweetest things I had ever heard.

My speech went extremely well and before I knew it, people began to stand! Ahh, I still get chills just thinking about it.

During the next break, I was flooded with compliments, conversations and support. People continued to ask if they could vote for me in the Miss Missouri pageant! Ha!

One gentleman came up to me during the break and said, "I know you are busy right now, but I wanted to let you know that what you said was one of the most genuine and heartfelt things I have ever heard. You truly made a difference in my life and outlook on my disease."

It was at that point when my life changed. I never realized that one person's life could change so drastically because of something I said. It also struck me that he revered to celiac as "his" disease. I gave this much thought and was proud to know that he is accepting of the fact that he lives healthily with Celiac.

Break time!!

Chad Hines, founder of Glutenfreefaces.com

Elaine Monarch- truly an inspiration! Elaine is the founder of the Celiac Disease Foundation. She has been wonderful to work with and I cannot wait to see her again next year!

Ang and I couldn't resist a picture with the Celiac sign- be proud!!

I am pictured here with some of the ladies who lead the CDF organization in other states. They asked me to come and speak at their statewide Celiac events as well! Idaho and Washington, Miss KC is headed your way!

One of the best parts of the convention were all of the gluten free vendors that were present! Ang and I LOVED the vendors with all of the samples (my trainer hated it). It was so neat to see that gluten free items are finally becoming so popular and there are more options available to Celiacs. While walking around the vendors I was stopped by two mothers with their daughters. As I bent down to speak with and hug the girls, one of the mothers said, "We only came to the conference to see and hear you speak." If that wasn't touching enough, she went on to explain that the girls have had a difficult time in school dealing with Celiac and luckily they have each other. The mother explained that since the conference contained mainly doctors as speakers, the girls did not want to come because they wouldn't understand. She said that the second they found out that I would be speaking, they signed up. She went on to tell me that the girls look up to me and had been talking about meeting me for months. Since I met them after I spoke, she told me that one of the girls smiled at her and said, "I like having Celiac disease now."

The feelings I got when speaking with this mother are unexplainable.

The gluten free pancake breakfast!! Yumm!!!

Gluten free for kids! Awesome!

As I was getting ready to leave the convention I was stopped by a lady who was extremely out of breath! She explained that they had been trying to catch up with me all day in order to film a commercial about eating gluten free while on the go. Yet again, before I knew it, I was on screen speaking about how I stay gluten free during all of my travels.

Once my commercial is ready I will add a link for you all to check it out!!

Eventually it was time for a successful convention to come to an end. I enjoyed every second of it and wish I had words to explain all of the feelings and things that are running through my head right now. It is amazing to see how supportive people truly are. I'd like to thank everyone involved with the Celiac Disease Foundation and especially Elaine for all of her support.

Gluten free is the way to be!

Pirates Rock Event

2010-05-11T12:55:00.000-07:00

The Platte City Pirates definitely rock!! Miss Kansas City Outstanding Teen, Morgan Carnes, and I had an absolute BLAST at the Pirates Rock Event! Although it was a little chilly outside, we bundled up to celebrate good character.

The Missouri State Legislature recently cut the Missouri Character Education project in schools. Since Character Education is too crucial to abandon, the CharacterPlus program developed as a more affordable plan. Through the newly implemented CharacterPlus program, two students who represent a character trait are chosen monthly in every classroom. Some of the character traits include; respect, responsibility, self-control, courage, kindness, individuality, among many others. These students are awarded for their good moral character in many different ways.

The Platte City School District is lucky to have so many wonderful sponsors to host an event for all of the students that won these awards. The students were able to bring their families out to Platte City High School celebrate their good display of moral development. The event was sponsored by several surrounding businesses, including the Miss Kansas City Organization! Each character trait had it's own "booth". Morgan and I helped the kids celebrate "individuality". Since the ages of students ranged from kindergarten to 8th grade, we decided it was best to promote individuality by giving the kids little face tattoos. The students were able to choose their own "individual" tattoo that best represented them.

At the beginning of the event, Morgan and I were welcomed by the Pirate's mascot!

Putting on a tattoo sticker

We visited with girls and boys from a wide range of ages- most of the girls wanted to be divas or rock stars!

After awhile Morgan and I were getting eager to go and enjoy some of the other booths with the kids! We were able to escape our booth, leaving it up to one of our lovely board members, Louise.

As we began on the exciting journey away from our Individuality booth we ran into a chicken!

We continuously stopped back by the booth to visit with little girls that were upset that the "princesses" left. :o)

When we journeyed off again, we couldn't help but put on a show!! Although we are both tap dancers- we like to think that we can be rock stars!

On our adventure to the bounce house we ran into some friends that wanted to race us on the slide! I'm sure that by looking at the difference in sizes, you can already guess who "won"; however, I convinced her that she took 1st place!

Between us, I think Morgan and I may have had more fun than some of the kids that were there!

After a lot of fun on the slide and the bounce house we got to pretend that we were saving lives with the firemen.

(They even let us drive the truck!!)

This entire event would not have been possible without the wonderful support of the Platte Valley Bank!! A huge heartfelt thank you goes out to all of their volunteers.

After signing a few more autographs it was time to pack up. We had a great time and enjoyed every second of the event! The kids were a lot of fun to play with and they all displayed great moral character.

"They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel." -Unknown

Weekend Whirlwind

2010-05-03T08:21:00.000-07:00

These weekend, I was able to encounter a brand new experience... judging! I traveled to Dixon, MO (hometown of the gorgeous and talented, Chelsey Jones), to judge the Tiny, Little Miss and Pre-teen Pulaski County and Mid-MO. The girls were adorable and it was very difficult to choose new titleholders. It was really neat to see the little ones so educated and poised. Although a few contestants didn't have much to say in their interviews, others had plenty to say! Future goals ranged from fashion designers, WWE Wrestlers, marine biologists and princesses- WOW! Watch out Miss America, there are some talented little tikes with big dreams coming our direction!

Another great part about judging the pageant was the judges panel. I served as the head judge on a wonderful panel, consisting of past and previous Miss Missouri titleholders. It was great to hang out and catch up with some of the girls.

Pictured above is the judges panel with the director, Miss Layla Earl, and the judges chair, Olivia Cromwell. Judges were Me'Lisa Enyard, Malorie Howe, Melanie Schneider and Katy Reed.

Emceeing and performing her amazing talents at the pageant was a past Little Miss Pulaski County, Chelsey Jones. Auditing the pageant was the reigning Miss Audrain, Abby Grimmett! Abby, Chelsey and I were previously sister queens in the Waynesville area and had a great time visiting on Saturday.

After visiting it was time for the pageant to begin! One of the cutest parts of the pageant was definitely the talent portion. Another highlight of the pageant was when a little sweetheart shouted on stage during evening gown, "mommy, I need to go potty!"

Our Tiny Miss Pulaski County showing off her trophies!

All of the new queens with the judges

Directly after the pageant I took off for Lee's Summit, MO to spend time with good friends and family to celebrate my sister's 30th birthday! My family is very close and I am lucky to have such great siblings. Pictured below is my goofy brother, Jimmy with his loving sisters, Angela and myself.

Sunday brought the pageant preparations!! One of our teen titleholders, Mattie Elliott, met me at my apartment and we took off for Platte City (without getting lost... this time!). In Platte City, we met our wonderful directors and our other teen sister queen, Morgan Carnes, along with her mom, Joyce. We all had a great time and are ready for Miss Missouri week!

Creating a World with more Birthdays

2010-04-29T11:46:00.000-07:00

We did it!!! On April 16th, I participated with the Johnson County Relay for Life.

From 7pm to 7am we celebrated cancer survivors and caregivers.

We remembered loved ones lost.

We fought back against a disease that takes too much from too many.

During this event we raised over $26,000 to help fight cancer!!! The theme of the night was to create a world with more birthdays... think about it.
I would like to extend a heartfelt Thank You to all of our awesome 36 teams and almost 350 walkers. We couldn't have done it without you!
The night was filled with people excited to be at the Relay. In case you didn't know, the American Cancer Society funds research to help find cures, but they actually do a lot more than that! They are all about saving lives. They help people stay well by working to prevent cancer or detect it early, when it's most treatable. They assist in helping people get well and fight back against cancer by working with elected officials to pass laws that defeat cancer and bring communities together to join the fight. After becoming involved with this event, I have decided to dedicate much of my time to helping the American Cancer Society and spreading the importance of getting involved. I will be joining the Johnson County Relay for Life Committee next year!

Here are a few photos from the Relay! Although my adorable teen sister queen had prom the following day, she toughed it out to help raise money to fight cancer. Pictured below is me and Mattie Elliott, Miss Greater Kansas City Outstanding Teen. The Relay was held at the Multipurpose building in Warrensburg, MO- a wonderful facility for the walk!

Once I decided that I wanted to be involved with Relay for Life, I contacted the director of JCR4L asking how I could get involved. He was very excited that Mattie and I were able to attend and he made us as involved as possible! He has us speaking, raising money with pictures, walking the relay, teaching and judging the "queen of the relay", visiting with survivors, announcing all activities and singing the National Anthem..... yes, singing. When Richard asked if I could sing, I simply said, "I am a dancer, but I can sing." He liked that quote and decided to announce it to everyone!

I hit off the night with the opening ceremonies!

.......and then,

The colors were presented.....

and out came the National Anthem!

Apparently, it didn't sound too bad because since then I have been asked to sing the Alma Mater at the Commencement Ceremonies at UCM!

After the National Anthem, I dug into the script for the entire night, beginning with introducing the cancer survivors that were present. Once each survivor had been introduced they started the Relay by completing the first lap. It was so inspirational and everyone at the Relay clapped throughout the duration of their lap. It was an honor to meet so many strong cancer survivors.

The night carried on with a lot of fun activities and a lot of friendly faces.

Adorable! She passed out purple roses to all of the cancer survivors.

While at the Relay, each team, or group, tried to raise as much money as possible. I was asked by the UCM National Society of Collegiate Scholars team (an organization in which I was involved with in college) to be their "$$$ raiser". To raise money for TEAM NSCS I took pictures and signed autographs... for a price! After an hour with a frozen face, I helped them raise $301.75!! Overall, Team NSCS came in with a bronze medal for the amount of money raised (including their other money raising activities).

Mattie even helped the team by face painting!

It was not long until the night began to get very interesting. It was time for the "Queen of the Relay" competition! Males were picked by their teams to dress up as queens and raise money. Before we sent the queens out to walk, mingle and play volleyball (in gowns- hilarious) we thought it was essential to teach them how to act like queens.

Back on stage, Mattie and I taught the "ladies" how to pose, walk, wave and even flirt to raise money! In this picture they have already learned how to pose, they've got the stance down! We are now teaching them to wave...

SUCCESS!!!

Once they had down their proper manners and lady-like fundraising techniques, they were sent out to get donations. Families, businesses and other walkers gave donations to the queens as they made their way around the Relay and marketed themselves. Toward the end of the Relay we added up all of their donations and crowned our new Queen of the Relay!

The night was definitely a success and created memories that I will never forget!

Preparations!!

2010-04-14T12:50:00.000-07:00

Miss Missouri week is getting closer and the KC girls will be prepared! We had a blast this Saturday with mock interviews, round table discussions, and the best part, a photo shoot! Our very own photographer, Megan Knott, traveled with us to many different KC landmarks to snap some pictures. We definitely stopped traffic at the plaza when we posed in the middle of the street!

More to come!!

The LATE Show

2010-04-14T12:42:00.000-07:00

Not the David Letterman Late Show.... but the Warrensburg High School LATE Show! I was the motivational speaker at the event on April 9th. The LATE Show is a overnight lock-in to help 8th grade girls transition into high school. When I was an 8th grader, I participated in the Warrensburg LATE Show, but surprisingly, I had more fun this time!

Mattie Elliott, Miss Greater Kansas City Outstanding Teen, was able to join me! We created a motivational presentation about getting involved in high school and not letting other people change who you are.

During the presentation, I included an activity to show the girls how much they had in common. They LOVED the activity that I titled, Party in the USA.

After the presentation the girls had a ton of questions. This event was a great plug for the Miss Missouri Outstanding Teen Organization, many of the girls want to start competing! Once the questions were answered we were able to have more fun. The girls were hilarious! We had mini-pageants, talent auditions, runway walks, autograph sessions and much more.

There were eight different groups of girls and they all got to name their own teams. We are pictured here with the Groovy Hippees and the Hicktown Hotties.

These are the Spankin' Diva Zebra Hustlas and the Ropin' Ridin' Cowgirls

Crowning a Miss Congeniality

The Pretty Pretty Princesses and the Jungle Jammers

The night was a lot of fun and the girls are ready for high school! A big thank you to Tara Engelhart for organizing such a great event and inviting me to be a part of it. Tara was my teacher when I was in 8th grade as well and she loved to tell the girls that I played hockey and all other school sports... the girls didn't believe her!

*Do not let someone else's opinion of you change who you are*

Children's Miracle Network Fundraiser

2010-04-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

On April 7th I participated in a Children's Miracle Network fundraiser at Golden Corral in Blue Springs. The Blue Springs High School football team and I were the "guest servers". Word spread quickly around Blue Springs and we were able to raise over $500.00 for CMN!

Pictured with the Blue Springs High School football coach and the Golden Corral Manager, Chuck

The team did a great job serving all of the hungry customers while I greeted people and encouraged them to donate to CMN.

Stopping for a quick picture with some of the guys (they all want tickets to Miss MO)

This is Ile, one of the sweetest people I have ever met! She is the director of Children's Miracle Network in Kansas City.

Chuck added me to the "Golden Corral Wall of Fame"

The night was definitely a success! Thank you to everyone that came out and donated!

A simple Thank you

2010-04-14T11:41:00.000-07:00

From time to time it is easy to forget about those people who do a lot for us. Without sponsors, the Miss Missouri Scholarship Organization would suffer. On Tuesday, April 6th, Kara Adams and I traveled to Mexico to thank our biggest sponsors and visit our Miss Missouri Little Sisters. I was shocked to see that a simple thank you completely changes people's attitudes about the pageant. Kara and I met our dorm moms, Momma Pat and Miss Jackie for lunch before hitting the town. It was great to catch up with them and see all of the wonderful things they have been up to!

After lunch we went to visit Kayla and Maggie at their schools. Both girls were very excited to see us and are ready for Miss Missouri week.

When we left the schools we were ready to thank our sponsors! First, we went to Aaron's, they donate a refrigerator to us during Miss Missouri week. The employees were shocked to see us in their store so we took a lot of pictures with their mascot, Lucky.

After Aaron's, we hit the Mexico Square. Being there brought back a lot of fun memories from the famous Miss Missouri parades. Here are a few photos from some of our visits.

The lovely Lana from Merle Norman

We knew that we couldn't leave Mexico without visiting Bruce Oliver at Edward Jones. He wanted to "pound it" so we taught him how to "explode"!

The day turned out to be a blast and a huge thank you goes out to all of the Miss Missouri sponsors, we cannot thank you enough for all you do.

Greater Kansas City Day!

2010-04-08T12:17:00.000-07:00

This was definitely my favorite appearance up to this point!

Greater Kansas City Day was Monday, April 5th. I joined the other Kansas City Celebrities and hit the streets, again! We started the day at 5AM at the Hyatt downtown. We loaded the trollies and took off to raise money for underprivileged kids to go to camp. Many children have enjoyed attending the Kansas City Rotary camp; however, there are also many children whose families are unable to afford sending their child to camp. This was the 23rd year for Greater Kansas City day and it was a huge success!

I was joined by my sister queen, Lauren Alumbaugh, Miss Greater Kansas City to sell newspapers. All of the money raised by selling the newspapers went toward sending the kids to camp.

Here I am with the Chief's mascot, KC Wolf

Greater Kansas City Day is always on the same day as the Royal's home opener. After selling a few newpapers we traveled over to do a few interviews live on air at many radio stations in the area.

Of course, on the way over, some of the Chiefs and Royals got silly on the bus. This is Thomas Gafford, Chiefs long snapper, crowning himself Mr. Kansas City!

I cannot forget my bus partner, Walter White! Walter is a sweetheart!! He was the tight end for the Chiefs and currently serves as a KC Ambassador.

The radio station visits were a lot of fun as well. I have never seen so many people crammed into one little room. After a few visits, we decided to break the group up so we didn't overwhelm the listeners. While one group of the "KC celebrities" were on air, the other group had mini-photo shoots!

One of my favorite Kansas City Celebrities is Bobby Bell, NFL Hall of Famer. If you have ever met him you would know that he definitely brought a positive outlook, even when the rain ran us off of the streets. Bobby also wanted to be Mr. Kansas City....

Once the event came to an end a few of the guys invited Lauren and I to breakfast. I guess we made good impressions on them because they were all very interested in the Miss America Organization! We dined at the Hyatt with Bobby Bell, Walter White, Al Fitsmorris, WWF's the Brut, and many others.

When we left breakfast, we were invited to the Royals game with all of our new friends. Unfortunately, the Royals didn't pull out a win, but the game was still a lot of fun!

Easter Weekend

2010-04-08T11:44:00.000-07:00

I hope that everyone was blessed with a great Easter Weekend! I was able to go to our lake house at Lake of the Ozarks with the rest of my family.

Easter egg hunts are always a fun tradition in our house! We introduced my nephew, Mason, to his very first Easter egg hunt!

After the Easter festivities, we all participated in the "great frog migration". For those of you that don't know, my mom is OBSESSED with frogs! She has a ton! It also makes her the easiest person to shop for ;-) In the winter we store all of her frog decorations in the basement and at Easter we put them back out. It was a gorgeous day and luckily we were able to take the boat out for the first time this year! It was great to finally catch up and play games with my strongest support group.

It's all about the service!

2010-04-08T11:32:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy past few weeks and I have loved every minute of it!

On the 25th, I left town for Warrensburg to interview for the Charno Award (Outstanding UCM Female). It is incredible how much I have gained from the Miss America Organization. Words cannot explain how grateful I am for all of the help I have received from MAO volunteers. The interview went well and they will award the winner on April 15th. The next day, I was welcomed back into the Warrensburg School District to speak about setting goals and getting motivated.

My first visit was at South East Elementary School where I spoke to classes of kindergartners.

This little girl asked me how I sleep with the crown on my head! How cute!

They had several good questions!

I had a blast with all of the students! A huge thank you goes out to all of the cooperating teachers and parents at the book fair. My next stop was at Sterling Elementary School where I spoke to 4th and 5th grade students. Here, I was able to speak about the importance of setting goals for the MAP test. Mattie Elliott, Miss Greater Kansas City Outstanding Teen, was even able to join me!

Speaking to Mrs. Schueller's 5th graders

After speaking with many of the students in the Warrensburg School District, my travels took me to Mexico, Missouri for Miss Missouri 2010 Orientation. It was wonderful to see my Miss Missouri family and meet all of the new additions. I also got a chance to take my Miss Missouri little sister, Kayla, out for ice cream.

I could not believe how much she has grown up over the past few years. Kayla is almost taller than I am! Her personality is adorable and I always love visiting her and the Scobee family.

More updates from orientation: I am contestant number 4 in the Sigma group! I will be performing my talent on Wednesday night's competition, evening gown and onstage question on Thursday and swimsuit on Friday, June 11. This is going to be an amazing year, as it is the 40th anniversary of Miss Missouri in Mexico!

More surprises to come!!

The following week I participated in the Mix 4 Kids Radiothon in Kansas City! The Radiothon was held at the Mix 93.3 studio in Westport, Missouri on March 30th and 31st. It was definitely hard work, but we raised over $400,000.00 for Children's Mercy Hospital and KU Medical Center. This past year the importance of Children's Miracle Network has truly made it's way into my heart. I began the first day of the Radiothon as a "KC celebrity" on a Street Team! Other volunteers and I were sent out to the corners of Kansas City to collect donations during busy traffic times. Believe me, it was definitely scary at first, but I got used to running in and out of moving traffic.

The second day of the Radiothon brought much more excitement! We were blessed with large and matching donations from companies in the Kansas City area. Once again, I joined the Street Teams and hit the busiest corners! (Yes, this was an ongoing joke throughout the event!)

After collecting over $3,000.00 on the streets I made my way back to the Mix 93.3 studio.

At the studio I spoke live on air with Ponch, Dave-o, Jenny Matthews and Steve Sorano. I educated the listeners on the ties between the Miss America Organization and Children's Miracle Network. I also encouraged them to donate and explained the importance of improving a child's life.

Steve Sorano, Jenny Matthews, Me, Dave-o, and Ponch at the Mix 93.3 studios

Service is the rent we pay for living. it is the very purpose of life and not something you do in your spare time.

marian wright edelman

Catching Up!

2010-03-25T11:12:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful spring break! I truly enjoyed mine... even though it did not feel like much of a break. I went with my family to visit relatives in Illinois and introduce them to the newest member of our family, my nephew, Mason. He has been such a blessing!

Great Grandma Gai meeting baby Mason (8 weeks old)

When we returned I was able to support other Kansas City members at the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Westport, MO. There was a great turn out at the parade and a lot of neat floats!

Later in the week I was able to relax at the lake with my family and dog Brandie. Brandie is a miniature husky and loves the outdoors!! She gave us a little scare by chasing squirrels up the bluff, luckily, she came back quickly. She is so much fun and I have to admit... I'm a little obsessed!

Toward the end of the week I traveled to Arkansas with my mom to meet Laine at The Royal We! Laine was extremely helpful with finding me the perfect gown for Miss Missouri 2010! A huge thank you goes out to Laine and everyone else at The Royal We. I'd also like to thank Shelley Kelley and all from Clark's Bridal in Jonesboro, AR!

Back to teaching for now! I've got quite a few upcoming appearances and would love to see you all there! If you would like me to help out with an event please contact me at Kari.gai@hotmail.com

Tentative Appearance Schedule:

March 26- Speaking at Warrensburg Elementary Schools

March 27- Miss Missouri Orientation in Mexico

March 30-31- Mix 4 Kids Radiothon to benefit Children's Miracle Network

March 31- Easter Egg hunt in the Park!

April 4- Easter Sunday!

April 5- Kansas City Day- I will be all over town selling newspapers with the Royals and Chiefs players

April 6- Thanking sponsors in Mexico, MO

April 7- CMN fundraiser in Blue Springs at Golden Corral

April 9- LATE Show Lock-in Motivational Speaker

April 10- Miss MO preparations

April 10- Celiac Disease Booth at the Kansas City Health Fair

April 16- Relay for Life- I will be singing the National Anthem and participating

April 24- Traveling back to Arkansas to see Shelley

May 1- Race for the Summit

May 15- Speaker at the National Celiac Disease Conference in Los Angeles

May 22- Gluten Free Picnic in St. Louis

June- Time for Miss Missouri!!

I hope all is well! I will leave you with a quote that has truly changed my life:

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. -Thoreau

The Ladies of Miss Missouri

2010-03-13T20:53:00.000-08:00

I got a chance to catch up with some past contestants in Waynesville! We watched gorgeous ladies compete for the title of Miss Pulaski County and got a bite to eat afterward. It was great to hear what the girls have been up to and how they are making differences in their communities.

Me'Lisa Enyard and Chelsey Jones and I catching up at dinner

Power and Light District

2010-03-03T09:57:00.001-08:00

I am so excited for the partnership of the Miss Kansas City System and the Power and Light District. For my first appearance here I was at the Boutique grand opening. This shop has it all ladies. I seriously wanted to take everything with me that day from the new hip headbands, to the killer shoes (you can never have to many shoes), and even this green cocktail I fell in love with that I just may have to go back to see if they will let me borrow for Miss Missouri.
A huge thanks to Power and Light for letting me come and can't wait for our year together. Another member to our amazing team.

Modeling with Fox 4's Shawn Edwards and City Councilman Terry Riley!

Wearing "Reign"
She has the cutest MU and KU boots! Go check them out!!

National Pancake Day!

2010-03-03T09:43:00.000-08:00

February 23rd was National Ihop Day! Did you get your free stack of small pancakes because I sure would have if they were gluten free!!
I was on a tour of Kansas City today thanks to the KU Medical Children's Miracle Network. From 8am-11:30 I was at the IHOP in Lee's Summit.

From 3-5:30, I was flipping pancakes at Kansas City's IHOP on Choteau Trafficway and I was not stopping there, from 6-8 I took donations at the Kansas City IHOP on 64th
Then to end my IHOP tour, I made an appearances at the Grandview and Independence locations. I enjoyed visiting with the crew at the Lee's Summit location that I even stopped back by before heading home. What a day!

Miss Kansas City

2010-03-03T09:15:00.000-08:00

Something amazing happened on February 20th, 2010. Can you guess? I was crowned Miss Kansas City! It was so unexpected and I had worked so hard for this title all year. I can't wait to serve this area and get to know my board who is truly top notch. The theme of the pageant was "Kansas City Girl" which was sang to the tune of "Brown Eyed Girl". A huge thanks to Kay Lea as she gave us an old Miss Kansas sign. It really gave the pageant that extra something.
Now to introduce you to my sister queens:
Miss Greater Kansas City: Lauren Alumbaugh
Miss Kansas City Outstanding Teen 2010: Morgan Carnes
Miss Greater Kansas City Outstanding Teen 2010: Mattie Elliott
For more information visit: www.missgreaterkansascity.org

I am very excited for this year. Each year that I have been a titleholder, I have grown. This year in so different but I am ready to grow into the title of Miss Missouri 2010 and I know this board, as a team, can get me there.

Think about this until next time: "The first step in the acquisition of wisdom is silence, the second listening, the third memory, the fourth practice, the fifth teaching others."
Solomon Ibn Gabriol

Welcome

2010-03-03T09:11:00.000-08:00

Greetings everyone,
I want to take a minute to welcome you to my new blog! I believe that community service is a key part of the mission statement of the Miss America Organization. By having this blog not only can you see what I will be doing during my year of service as Miss Kansas City, but its a great way to also look back on all the amazing memories I will make.
Can't wait for a great year!

Kari Gai