My Blog

End of School/ MPFO Christmas Party

01/09/2012 02:28:00

End of school After an incredibly busy and stressful semester I finally finished 15 more hours of my undergraduate degree at Texas Christian University. This past semester I had very challenging courses and sometimes it felt more like the library was my home instead of my actual apartment. This was a bittersweet semester for me because while I am so excited to finish up at TCU I am also a little afraid of the real world that faces me in just a few short months! Now more than ever I am trusting in the plans that God has for me and passions and talents He has given me. I know as long as I keep my focus on Him, He will guide me to the life He has planned for me!

MPFO Holiday Party The annual MPFO Christmas Party was one of the highlights of my holiday season. The four of us titleholders, our families, the MPFO board and many dear friends were in attendance. The party was held at David and Michael's beautiful home in Carrollton and they completely outdid themselves. Talk about some gorgeous decorations...they had several trees that were just completely breathtaking! I might need to hire them to help me out next year. The evening was spent catching up with friends and of course my fabulous MPFO sisters. Anytime the four of us get to be together (esp. with our sweet Kate who has a long car trip anytime she comes to see us in DFW) we are bound to have an absolute blast together.

I had no idea what I was in for when the four of us sat in chairs in the front of the living room and were delivered a huge basket of gifts! Among the many thoughtful things I received were earrings, a scarf, a jewelry holder, a Vera Bradley bag, custom made pillows by Judy Hartt, some delicious cake balls, socks, a cozy blanket, black high heels, and many gifts cards (which were put to good use on a shopping spree with my MPFO sisters).

I also handed out gifts to our incredible MPFO family who does so much to ensure that we are at our very best come July. To me, it is the special moments spent surrounded by the ones that you love that make the holidays what they are. Blessed doesn't begin to explain how I feel when I realize all of the amazing people that God has brought into my life this year to help me on my journey. I am continually amazed by His grace and His plans for me.

New York City Trip!

01/09/2012 02:20:00

New York City trip with Ephraim, Fadil and Sherri Hill

NYC is one of my favorite places on earth so when Ephriam Zamzow-Danforth of MZ Couture in Houston invited me to come to the Big Apple for a weekend of gowns and glamour it was a no brainer! My mom and I traveled to New York where we met up with BreAnna Young (my former teen who is like a sister to me) for a fun filled weekend. While in NYC we enjoyed shopping, eating and, of course, the sights and sounds of Broadway and Times Square. It was BreAnna’s first trip to NYC and although it was short, my mom and I had a fun time showing her around!

While there, I met with Sherri Hill and designed my dress for Miss Texas this year. I don’t want to give away too much but it is completely different from anything I have ever worn before and I am so excited to see how it turns out. I had a dream about this dress and I can’t wait to see it when it is a reality! I also had the incredible opportunity, thanks to Ephriam, to do a photoshoot with Fadil Berisha! He is awesome behind the camera, and although no one will ever replace my beloved Zacaroo, it was fun to shoot with him. All in all, our short NYC trip was a great success!

MPFO Photo Shoot with Zac Grimaldo

01/09/2012 02:08:00

Photo shoot with Zac Grimaldo

Our MPFO photo shoot with Zac was an absolute blast! Kate, Christine, Autumn and I had a day full of glamour, glitter and even a little SNOW. The day began with our “glam team” consisting of Troy O’Neil and his incredibly talented crew of make-up and hair ladies. Troy, owner of the Troy Richard Salon, is the official hair and make-up sponsor for all of the MPFO girls and we are SO lucky to have the very best working on us! Many thanks to Troy for making me feel gorgeous!

All of us took turns taking our headshots with Zac. Zac has been taking my pictures since I first began doing pageants in 2006 and he continues to amaze me. That man TRULY works magic behind the camera! During the day long shoot we had some of our MPFO family with us including David, Michael, Joshua, Jeremy, Cynthia, Ricardo (who cracked us up when he snuck into our shoot dressed as a deer haha), Larry, and Dominic. My favorite part of the day was when the four of us took pictures together. I always knew I was tall but I realized just what a giant I was when Christine had to stand on a box to equalize the height difference! During our holiday picture we were covered in snow and I even got a throw a fake snow ball at Zac. When the day was over we all poured over the hundreds of fabulous photos that Zac had taken. I cannot wait to see the finals and I know we are going to have such a difficult time chosing our favorites! The day culminated with a much deserved dinner at Chili’s with my precious teen, Autumn, and Zac. The MPFO photoshoot was a day full of fun, laughter, hairspray and bonding that I will forever remember!

May really is the month for miracles…

06/08/2011 22:08:00

May was an incredibly busy (but incredibly rewarding) month for me! The month started off with final exams. A necessary evil of college. I was so excited to finish up with my semester at Texas Christian University with good grades and to finally be able focus all of my attention of preparing for the Miss Texas Pageant. In addition to dance rehearsals, interview preparation and a rigorous workout routine, I was able to squeeze in a few memorable appearances! I attended the 2011 Crowne Plaza Invitational tournament at the Colonial. I was a featured guest the Pro-Am draw event and I served as a hostess for the professional and amateur contestants during the Pro-Am Tournament. The Crowne Plaza Invitational raised a whopping $6,000,000.00 for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals! I am so blessed to have been a part of this distinguished event. I enjoyed spending time with some of my favorite pageant sisters and of course my best friend, Ashley (Miss TX 2010). While at the draw party, Ashley and I ran into the one and only Coach Gary Patterson and we were able to get a “GO FROGS!” picture… it was definitely a moment to remember!

I also had the opportunity to participate in a fashion show for Oh La La of Grapevine. I enjoyed spending the evening with Ashley (my bestie) and Cristie Kibler, Miss Southlake, who is another dear friend of mine! Thanks to Oh La La and Sylvia for asking me back to do this event again.

Reilly, my sister and Miss Colleyville’s Outstanding Teen 2011, and I attending the Colleyville Woman’s Club luncheon as distinguished guests. As always we enjoyed our time with the wonderful women of the CWC and we had so much fun participating in this event. It was incredible to see how much they give back to the organization. Thank you to the CWC for allowing the “Colleyville Princesses” to be a part of your fabulous events… we love you guys!

Last year, “Pennies with a Purpose” was a dream I had and it began as an online fundraiser. As I spoke about my platform I encouraged students to save their own pennies and donate them online to “Pennies with a Purpose” through my website. Over my year as Miss Colleyville this idea has taken flight and it developed into a huge fundraiser for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. I began by addressing the Colleyville Chamber of Commerce and asking the chamber members to take one of our containers into their businesses. As customers completed their purchases they were asked to consider donating to our cause. There was 25 business who participated by placing the containers in their stores. On May 21 our campaign concluded with a final day of fundraising. Me, my sister, Reilly, my parents, Ed, Hayden, Hudson, Princesses Gwyneth, Mallory, Ally, Brittney, Tatum and Kennedy as well as 12 middle

school students from Lake Worth stood

outside of Market Street in Colleyville and asked customers for donations. I was in absolute awe of the generosity of the people of Colleyville. It did not take me too long to figure out that people had no problem saying “no thanks” to me… but they absolutely couldn’t resist my princesses in their cute crowns!

In addition to asking for donations for the Children’s Miracle Network, we also sold t-shirts. The t-shirt featured a picture designed by Kimberly Hall, a 13 year old student at Lake Worth. Kimberly, a special needs student, is a very gifted artist. I want to say a special thank you to all of the students who came out to help as well as my princesses and pageant family. Thank you guys for supporting me and making this fundraiser a reality… I have to say May REALLY is a month for miracles. Through my efforts I was able to raise over $1500.00 for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Aside from being a partner with the Miss America Organization, the Children’s Miracle Network holds a special place in my heart as it treats 72% of all pediatric AIDS patients. Thanks again to all who made this incredible day possible and for opening your hearts and your wallets to help my cause! I am continually reminded of how great our God truly is!

These are the adorable Starfish Society stress stars I had made! Whenever I visit a school or do an appearance I will leave one of these behind to remind everyone to make a difference and to discover the power of one!

Colleyville Dancing With the Stars

03/06/2011 19:11:00

Colleyville Dancing With the Stars

Reilly, three of our precious princesses and I had the opportunity to perform at the Colleyville Dancing With the Stars event put on by the Colleyville Rotary Club. On Saturday, Princess Brit, Princess Gwyneth, and Princess Ally met Reilly and me at the venue early to rehearse and it was clear they were all naturals when it came to singing and dancing to Taylor Swift’s “Sparks Fly”.

We taught them a bit of choreography and then had the opportunity to rehearse two times on stage prior to primping and getting our tiaras on for the evening. I had to so much fun talking to my little princesses and catching up with them about all that was going on with their various sports, schools and lives. They are so cute and always manage to put a smile on my face! It was especially great to meet our newest Colleyville LSP Ally. I had a great time chatting with her mom and getting to know all about her and her sweet family.

Around 7pm as 100 people took their seats the Princesses, Reilly and I headed back stage to prepare for our big singing performance. As you know, Reilly and I are both dancers. We started taking voice on a whim and have really enjoyed working with our fabulous voice coach, Stefani Little. We decided to sing just to get some experience under our belt but needless to say we were both pretty nervous! The beautiful Rebecca Robinson was one of the emcees of the event and after she introduced us we took the stage with our LSPs and sang “Sparks Fly”. Thankfully all of my nerves disappeared before I was even done singing the first verse! It was so much fun to look to my right and see my little sister and to look to my left and see three of my precious princesses. I am truly blessed beyond measure!

After our performance we received many compliments from audience members which was certainly a confidence booster for both me and Reilly and made us realize that maybe we can sing after all! My Mom, Dad, Grandma Dot, Ed and Cynthia were all in attendance to cheer us on and they were very pleased with our performance! We got to watch all of the fabulous dancers including Carol Potter perform and it was truly a memorable evening. I also got to meet many of the members of the audience and of course take a few pictures. Overall, it was a fabulous night and I am so honored to have been a part of an event that raised over $22,000 for the Colleyville Education Foundation.

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Miss America Pageant 2011

01/25/2011 22:38:00

For the third year in a row I had the incredible privilege of attending the Miss America Pageant in Las Vegas. On Tuesday afternoon my mom and I headed to Vegas and were met by Danny at the airport. After checking into the hotel we enjoyed a nice dinner at P.F. Chang's with Danny and then headed to the first night of preliminary competition. Ashley did an incredible job on her talent night. I was such a proud best friend. All of the young ladies on stage were gorgeous, talented and intelligent and I am so glad I was not a judge!

The next day we browsed the trade show and did a little shopping before eating a fabulous dinner at KOI and attending the second night of prelims. The highlight of each of my days was getting to see Ashley... even if it was only for approx. 3 minutes! I kept telling her that she look like such a celebrity all week... which she really did! I am used to the fresh faced Ashley in workout clothes so seeing her all dolled up and tan was just incredible! She handled her on stage question with poise and grace and once again we were all very proud of her. On Thursday we got to go and see Danny perform on the Dennis Bono Show. He was fabulous. I just love listening to him play the piano and it was so nice to be able to spend some time with him. He is also the best chauffeur ever!

Ashley competed in swimsuit and evening gown on the final night and was in a very tough group. She was ripped and super thin and all of her hard work was evident! WAY TO GO ASH!!! I was confident that she would be competing again on finals night. On Friday me and my mom got to do our favorite thing... shop!

We finished off the evening with dinner at a fabulous Italian restaurant followed by Cirque de Soliel's Love with my dad, mom and Danny. I LOVED the show! We were on the fourth row and it felt like we were a part of the show. I have honestly never seen anything like it. There are no words to describe it!!! It renewed my love for Beetles music. Finally on Saturday we went to finals and I am not sure I have ever screamed so loud as I did when they called Ashley's name into the top 15. She was absolutely phenomenal!! I am so proud of her for all of her accomplishments and I know she will continue to be an incredible Miss Texas. Selfishly, I am glad to have my best friend 30 minutes away instead of on the other side of the country! I know God has amazing things in store for this amazing woman and I can't wait to see His plan unfold for her! Being at Miss America makes it so real that I could possibly be on that stage next year and I hope and pray each and everyday that if it is in God's plan for me that I will be!

Congratulations to our new Miss America, Teresa Scanlan! What an inspirational young woman.

Holiday Highlights

01/25/2011 22:14:00

HOLIDAY HIGHLIGHTS

I was able to spend an awesome afternoon with my precious princesses. We had a “Princess Holiday Tea Party” in a small tearoom in downtown Plano. The atmosphere was incredible and I truly felt so loved being surrounded by 6 amazing little ladies. Although for many of them it was the first time they had ever had tea, they were all more than willing to try it. They each enjoyed their own teapot full of “princess punch” and Cinderella, Ariel, Jasmine, and the other Disney princesses adorned the table. After enjoying our tea, quiche, small sandwiches and of course a delicious dessert, we all made friendship bracelets. Another thing that made this afternoon so special was the fact that the princesses were accompanied by their moms and grandmas. I had so much fun playing card games, making bracelets and catching up with my little ladies. They never fail to make me laugh. One of my princesses, Macie, drank her tea out of the tea pot spout. Something that only she could get away with and look absolutely adorable doing! Thank you to all of my Princesses and their families for making this day so special for me! I love you all!

The day after all of my finals were complete my mom planned a family adventure to the Gaylord Texan to see the Ice exhibit. My mom, dad, sister, cousins, aunt, uncles and grandma were all there. It was so much fun to spend time with them doing something “Christmas-y” especially after having my nose in a book for the past week!

Each year I get to spend some quality time with my grandparents on our "Granny and Papa Day". This year we went to NorthPark to see the trains exhibit. It was a blast!

In addition to our usual holiday traditions, my family decided to add a new one this year. During our big family Christmas celebration we all dressed in "Tacky Christmas" theme. It was so much fun and I know this year is just a preview of the years to come (especially since I have a whole entire year to plan my costume for next year!).

Over the holidays I had an opportunity to kick back and relax a little with my family. Although my break flew by I was still able to take some time to reflect on the incredible people and opportunities God has placed into my life. I will never be worthy of all of the amazing things He has done for me but I try each and every day through my actions to live a life that honors and glorifies Him! Christmas break was full of moments when I was surrounded by my family and my close friends when I just wanted to close my eyes and take a mental picture so that I could hold on to that moment forever. I am blessed beyond measure and I am truly thankful for my mom, dad, sister, cousins, aunts, uncles, cousins, my dog, boyfriend, executive director, my “little brothers”, my sweet princesses and their amazing families and all of the friends I have who continue to support me in all that I do. Without all of you I would not be here today! Thank you for giving me so much to be grateful for and giving me a reason to believe that I can accomplish all of my dreams! I love you all!

Meet the Colleyville Lone Star Princesses of 2011

01/05/2011 12:19:00

I want to introduce each of my incredible Colleyville Lone Star Princesses to you!

Princess Gwyneth Lonergan

Gwyneth is 11 years old. She is an incredible swimmer and dancer. She attends St. Alcuin in Dallas, Texas. She is the beautiful daughter of Gaylene and John Lonergan.

Princess Brittney Couch

Brittney or "Brit" as I like to call her is 11 years old. She is a 6th grade student at Rogers Middle School in Prosper, Texas. She loves to play basketball.

Princess Mallory Onstot

Mallory is the 8 year old daughter of Katrina and Mark Onstot. She is my cousin. Mallory attends elementary school in Garland, Texas. She is a phenomenal dancer, soccer player and softball player.

Princess Tatum Graf

Tatum is 8 years old. She goes to Wylie Elementary in Wylie, Texas. Her parents are Sara and Bobby Graf. Her aunt, Shyann Villarreal, works with my mom. Tatum loves to cheer and competes competitively.

Princess Kennedy Alexander

Kennedy is 7 years old and is the precious daughter of Dan and Kassy Alexander. Kennedy's grandma, Paula Alexander, has been my mom's secretary for many years and she is like another mother to me! Kennedy goes to school in The Colony, TX.

Princess Macie Govender

Macie is 7 years old and goes to school at Heath Elementary School in Heath, Texas. Her proud parents are Neville and Dana Govender. She is also a very talented dancer.

Princess Ally Reaves

Ally is 9 years old and she is the newest addition to our Colleyville family. She goes to Bruce Shulkey Elementary School in Ft. Worth. Her parents are Sherry and David Reaves. I look foward to meeting her very soon!

World AIDS Day 2010 with Miss Colleyville

12/01/2010 13:08:00

Facing AIDS in the United States

On World AIDS Day, I want to pause to reflect on the vision laid out in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, which says:

"The United States will become a place where new HIV infections are rare and when they do occur, every person, regardless of age, gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or socio-economic circumstance, will have unfettered access to high quality, life-extending care, free from stigma and discrimination."

That's a vision I believe in, and one I will work to support.

Every nine-and-a-half minutes, a person living in the United States is infected with HIV. The epidemic has claimed the lives of nearly 600,000 Americans and affects many more. Unless we take bold actions, we face a new era of rising infections, greater challenges in serving people living with HIV, and higher health care costs. President Obama developed a National HIV/AIDS Strategy with three primary goals:

1) reducing the number of people who become infected with HIV

2) increasing access to care and optimizing health outcomes for people living with HIV

3) reducing HIV-related health disparities

The Strategy is a concise plan that will identify a set of priorities and strategic action steps tied to measurable outcomes. Accompanying the Strategy is a Federal Implementation Plan that outlines the specific steps to be taken by various Federal agencies to support the high-level priorities outlined in the Strategy.

Reducing New HIV Infections

More must be done to ensure that new prevention methods are identified and that prevention resources are more strategically concentrated in specific communities at high risk for HIV infection. Almost half of all Americans know someone living with HIV (43 percent in 2009). Our nation’s commitment to ending the HIV epidemic, however, cannot be tied only to our own perception of how closely HIV affects us personally. Just as we mobilize the country to support cancer prevention and research whether or

not we believe that we are at high risk of cancer, or just as we support investments in public education whether or not we have children, success at fighting HIV calls on all Americans to help us sustain a long-term effort against HIV. While anyone can become infected with HIV, some Americans are at greater risk than others. This includes gay and bisexual men of all races and ethnicities, Black men and women, Latinos and Latinas, people struggling with addiction, including injection drug users, and people in

geographic hot spots, including the United States South and Northeast, as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. By focusing our efforts in communities where HIV is concentrated, we can have the biggest impact in lowering all communities’ collective risk of acquiring HIV. We must also move away from thinking that one approach to HIV prevention will work, whether it is condoms, pills, or information. Instead, we need to develop, evaluate, and implement effective prevention strategies and combinations of approaches including efforts such as expanded HIV testing (since

people who know their status are less likely to transmit HIV), education and support to encourage people to reduce risky behaviors, the strategic use of medications and biomedical interventions (which have allowed us, for example, to nearly eliminate HIV transmission to newborns), the development of vaccines and microbicides, and the expansion of evidence-based mental health and substance abuse programs. The Strategy also provides an opportunity for working together to advance a public health approach to sexual health that includes HIV prevention as one component. To successfully reduce the number of new HIV infections, there must be a concerted effort by the public and private sectors, including government at all levels, individuals, and communities, to:

• Intensify HIV prevention efforts in communities where HIV is most heavily concentrated.

• Expand targeted efforts to prevent HIV infection using a combination of effective, evidence- based approaches.

• Educate all Americans about the threat of HIV and how to prevent it.

Increasing Access to Care and Improving Health Outcomes for People Living with HIV

As a result of our ongoing investments in research and years of clinical experience, people living with HIV can enjoy long and healthy lives. To make this a reality for everyone, it is important to get people with HIV into care early after infection to protect their health and reduce their potential of transmitting the virus to others. For these reasons, it is important that all people living with HIV are well supported in a

regular system of care. The Affordable Care Act, which will greatly expand access to insurance coverage for people living with HIV, will provide a platform for improvements in health care coverage and quality.

High risk pools are available immediately. High risk pools will be established in every state to provide coverage to uninsured people with chronic conditions. In 2014, Medicaid will be expanded to all lower income individuals (below 133% of the Federal poverty level, or about $15,000 for a single individual in 2010) under age 65. Uninsured people with incomes up to 400% of the Federal poverty level (about $43,000 for a single individual in 2010) will have access to Federal tax credits and the opportunity to

purchase private insurance coverage through competitive insurance exchanges. New consumer protections will better protect people with private insurance coverage by ending discrimination based on health status and pre-existing conditions. Gaps in essential care and services for people living with HIV will continue to need to be addressed along with the unique biological, psychological, and social effects

of living with HIV. Therefore, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and other Federal and State HIV-focused programs will continue to be necessary after the law is implemented. Additionally, improving health outcomes requires continued investments in research to develop safer, cheaper, and more effective treatments. Both public and private sector entities must take the following steps to improve service delivery for people living with HIV:

• Establish a seamless system to immediately link people to continuous and coordinated quality care when they are diagnosed with HIV.

• Take deliberate steps to increase the number and diversity of available providers of clinical care and related services for people living with HIV.

• Support people living with HIV with co-occurring health conditions and those who have challenges meeting their basic needs, such as housing.

Reducing HIV-Related Health Disparities

The stigma associated with HIV remains extremely high and fear of discrimination causes some Americans to avoid learning their HIV status, disclosing their status, or accessing medical care.7 Data indicate that HIV disproportionately affects the most vulnerable in our society—those Americans who have less access to prevention and treatment services and, as a result, often have poorer health outcomes. Further, in some heavily affected communities, HIV may not be viewed as a primary concern,

such as in communities experiencing problems with crime, unemployment, lack of housing, and other pressing issues. Therefore, to successfully address HIV, we need more and better community-level approaches that integrate HIV prevention and care with more comprehensive responses to social service needs. Key steps for the public and private sector to take to reduce HIV-related health disparities are:

• Reduce HIV-related mortality in communities at high risk for HIV infection.

• Adopt community-level approaches to reduce HIV infection in high-risk communities.

• Reduce stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV.

Achieving a More Coordinated National Response to the HIV Epidemic in the United States

The Nation can succeed at meeting the President’s goals. It will require the Federal Government and State, tribal and local governments, however, to do some things differently. Foremost is the need for an unprecedented commitment to collaboration, efficiency, and innovation. We also must be prepared to adjust course as needed. This Strategy is intended to complement other related efforts across the Administration. For example, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has taught us

valuable lessons about fighting HIV and scaling up efforts around the world that can be applied to the domestic epidemic. The President’s National Drug Control Strategy serves as a blueprint for reducing drug use and its consequences, and the Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness focuses efforts to reduce homelessness and increase housing security. The White House Office of National AIDS

Policy (ONAP) will work collaboratively with the Office of National Drug Control Policy and other White House offices, as well as relevant agencies to further the goals of the Strategy. The Strategy is intended to promote greater investment in HIV/AIDS, but this is not a budget document. Nonetheless, it will inform the Federal budget development process within the context of the fiscal goals that the President has articulated. The United States currently provides more than $19 billion in annual funding for domestic

HIV prevention, care, and research, and there are constraints on the magnitude of any potential new investments in the Federal budget. The Strategy should be used to refocus our existing efforts and deliver better results to the American people within current funding levels, as well as to highlight the need for additional investments. Our national progress will require sustaining broader public commitment to HIV, and this calls for more regular communications to ensure transparency about whether we are meeting national goals. Key steps are to:

• Increase the coordination of HIV programs across the Federal government and between federal agencies and state, territorial, tribal, and local governments.

• Develop improved mechanisms to monitor and report on progress toward achieving national goals.

This Strategy provides a basic framework for moving forward. With government at all levels doing its part, a committed private sector, and leadership from people living with HIV and affected communities, the United States can dramatically reduce HIV transmission and better support people living with HIV and their families.

Today I am asking you to make a donation to my Pennies With A Purpose campaign or to www.keepachildalive.org.

To learn more about The Starfish Society's Pennies With A Purpose, look on my website.

There is a profound difference between living and life.

Living may extend time for another day.

But life is far more than sleeping and waking.

Life is more than merely existing.

And, although it would be easier, life cannot be bought in a pill.

That is why Keep A Child Alive buys more than just the pills needed to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa and India.

It buys the essential nutrition, shelter, support and education to help ensure those pills are taken properly and effectively.

It buys the things we all take for granted, but that make all the difference. A bed. A roof. A ride. A book. A smile.

KCA offers children, their families and entire communities a shoulder to lean on and a heart that beats for them.

Because KCA believes we can do something far bigger and better than buy the ability to live.

We can buy the dignity that is life.

We can buy compassion.

Buy love.

Buy the cure.

Buy life.

Because the more you buy, the more you save.

KEEP A CHILD ALIVE.

Celebrities including Justin Timberlake, the Kardashian Sisters, and Alicia Keys have given up their "digital lives" for the day and their lives must be bought back through donations.

Irving Healthcare Texas Fest and Toast To Life Gala

11/16/2010 15:45:00

Friday, May 7, 2010

Irving Healthcare Foundation’s TexasFest Gala

On Saturday May 1st, after 2 days of non-stop studying for my final exams, I took a break for the evening to attend Irving Healthcare Foundation’s TexasFest Gala. It was held at Eddie Dean’s Ranch in Dallas.

When Alex and I arrived we were greeted by a lady who had actually lived in Irving her whole life and competed for the title of Miss Irving many year ago! She was very excited to meet me and tell me about her experiences with pageants. We then proceeded to the silent auction where I was giving a computer that looked more like a small flat screen television. Someone briefed me about the machine and sent me on my way. The computer was pretty neat in that it kept track of all of the live auction bids and you could actually bid from the computer. There were pictures and descriptions of each item as well. Each attendee was given a “bidding card” and they could scan the card to check the status of their current bids. The only downside to this machine was that it was rather fickle and also that my arm got quiet a workout after carrying it around all night.

I think I played more with the computer trying to make it work than I actually got people to bid but I did get to talk to a great deal of people who were actually from Irving which was neat for me. They enjoyed hearing about my year as Miss Irving and about my upcoming competition in July. They all wished me luck and it felt good to know that the city of Irving supports me as I vie for the title of Miss Texas this summer! Diamond Rio also played a concert later in the evening, however, Alex and I left when the auction closed and made the long trek back down I-30 towards Fort Worth.

Saturday, May 1, 2010 Toast To Life Gala

The Toast To Life Gala, held at Fashion Industry Gallery in Downtown Dallas was an event attended by over 800 people. Since it began in 1999, this event has raised over $2,100,000. Many of Dallas’ most prominent chefs showed up to cook up their “latest culinary creations” .

Additionally there was a huge silent auction as well as a live auction at the end of the evening. All of the proceeds went to benefit the Resource Center Dallas. RCD provides critical assistance to individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS. They serve 12 counties across North Texas and provide services. They also offer many community programs including:

Health Insurance Premium and Co-Pay Assistance, Oral Health Care, Nutrition Programs, an HIV/AIDS Helpline, treatment education, and other services designed to empower and support community members living with HIV/AIDS. I sold raffle tickets for a trip for two to New York City and I had a great time talking to the attendees about my platform as well as the Miss Texas Pageant this July and all that I will have to do to prepare.