On the Road Again…
The dust has finally settled, and I am back in full swing traveling across the state of Missouri and loving every minute! I have been privileged to share my platform with thousands of individuals this year, and National Eating Disorders Awareness Week was no exception. I kicked off the week with a visit to Maryville University as they celebrated “Body Pride Week,” a collaboration of campus-sponsored events to raise awareness for eating disorders and body image. I was joined by Annie Seal, an advocate for eating disorders, and her daughter Katie, who is a recovered eating disordered patient. We shared our experiences and answered audience members’ questions, leaving them feeling empowered to raise awareness and fight the epidemic of eating disorders in their school and community.
The next morning, I was up bright and early to head to Columbia for National Pancake Day at IHOP. Children’s Miracle Network is the national platform of the Miss America Organization, and the local, state, and national title holders all serve as ambassadors, raising funds and awareness for the CMN-sponsored children’s hospitals across the country. IHOP is a corporate sponsor of CMN, and on National Pancake Day, customers can receive a free stack of pancakes and make a donation to CMN. I was joined by local title holders Melanie Collier (Miss Spirit of St. Louis) and Abby Grimmett (Miss Audrain) at the IHOP in Columbia, where we seated guests, waited tables, and collected donations all morning. I even had the opportunity to join Cosmo and JC of Y107 as a guest on their morning radio show as they broadcasted live from inside the restaurant! Thank you so much to IHOP for your incredible support and generosity to the Children’s Miracle Network and to Molly, Brandy, and Laura representing CMN at Children’s Hospital – MU for allowing us to be a part of the day!
After a day of fun and flapjacks, it was time to get back to business, and I headed to Mexico for a Miss Missouri Board Meeting, where I spoke about my Miss America experience and had the chance to thank all the volunteers for their endless support, encouragement, and hard work to help get me to Las Vegas. I was also excited to discuss plans for the 2010 Miss Missouri Pageant, which is celebrating 40 years in Mexico this June! From camera crews to cocktail dresses for production numbers, we talked about it all! I am looking forward to seeing the production plans continue to unfold, and I can assure you that you’re in for one fabulous show this year!!
Next, I was off to Lebanon, Missouri, for Lebanon High School’s “Big Man on Campus” Show! This was one event that couldn’t get here soon enough, because I had been hearing rave reviews and was so excited to be a part of it this year! My first stop was to Hairy’s Salon, where I was truly treated like a queen. After having my hair and makeup done for the show, I was greeted by the 16 contestants in the pageant – all senior boys at LHS! We had a chance to enjoy appetizers while I learned about their backgrounds and why they wanted to become the BMOC. And then the walk-off began! After sharing some of my modeling knowledge, the boys practiced their fiercest catwalk struts and received some last-minute finishing touches to get them ready for the show.
This year’s theme was “The Notorious BMOC,” and the show featured all things old-school gangster. With a soundtrack from the musical Chicago, and an entire cast of characters, LHS truly outdid themselves this year! The guys partnered up with members of the dance team for a fabulous opening number, and I had the opportunity to perform my Miss America talent – a tap solo to “Sing, Sing, Sing.” When the pageant finally began, contestants like Derek “Sharp Shooter” Scovell and Anthony “Not So” Single competed in Swimwear, Talent, Evening Gown, and Onstage Question competitions. Though the competition was fierce, the judges finally came to a decision: First Runner-Up went to Dylan “Big Red” Burd, with his show-stopping talent performance of Michael Buble’s “Feelin’ Good” and Mr. BMOC was awarded to Dave “D. Smooth” Stewart, who undoubtedly stole the show with his custom evening gown, showing his wild side with plenty of zebra print detail! Congratulations to all the men for competing in the show and raising money for the school’s Senior Night after Graduation! Thank you to everyone in Lebanon who made my stay unforgettable and for inviting me to be a part of the show!
Mr. BMOC wasn’t the only one crowned that night…Congratulations to the newest members of the Miss Missouri family: Amanda Sasek, Miss Moberly; Mary Bauer, Miss Northeast Counties; and Tippe Emmott, Miss Pulaski County!
With such a busy week behind me, I was excited to get back to St. Louis to wrap up National Eating Disorders Awareness Week at Washington University. My audience for the evening was a very unique group – the sorority women from the Wash U campus, sponsored by Reflections. I shared my educational presentation with them and answered questions about eating disorders, pageants, and stereotypes. Then we participated in a group activity dealing with body image issues, pressure to look or act a certain way, and problems we face as women. We ended the evening with a pledge to respect our bodies and break the vicious cycle of self-judgment, and we each wore a pink bracelet as a symbol of that pledge. Thank you so much to Reflections for inviting me to speak and to all the audience members for being a part of NEDA Week. Your willingness to educate yourselves and pledge to spread awareness are the most important part of ending the cycle of eating disorders and negative body image!
Be sure to check back soon for more stories and photos!
Love,
Tara
