Dancing through the Decades and Polar Plunging

With Luke, one of the first guests! He was extremely kind and helped me get warmed up on my finger spelling!

     I honestly do not think I could have asked for a better weekend! Friday got it off to a great start because I was able to attend a Decades Dance sponsored by the Metro Regional Program for Children Who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. I had so much fun dressing up in 90's clothes, but I also loved the activities at the dance!

Slow Dance

     After the kids ate, they started dancing to classics such as Elvis and the Grease Soundtrack, but they also enjoyed modern music such as Taylor Swift and Justin Beiber! The only thing the kids seemed uninterested in dancing to were the slow songs. So I dragged some of the kids on the dance floor, got them into a big circle, and got them swaying together and singing along dramatically with the song - they seemed to love it and didn't skip a slow song again! I even got asked to slow dance once by a young man named Michael - I am pretty sure he has had lessons too because he knew the hand placements!

 Picture Time!

Hula Hoop Contest!

     Besides the dancing, the kids also got to have their pictures taken and had fun with several activities throughout the night! The first activity was hula hooping. I watched the kids compete in the contest with immense ease when I heard "Oh princess..." I'm pretty sure my face turned bright red - hula hooping really isn't my forte! I got up and joined in the fun anyways, lasting maybe 5 seconds! The kids had a great time though and cheered me on anyways!

     The kids also played a game in which the boys stood on one side, the girls stood on the other, and the sides took turns leading the other side through the passageway they created. It started off with the girls picking a way to move through their peers and the boys following, but it quickly changed to the boys leading. This is when it really hit me - at any normal middle or high school dance, the kids would make fun of the way someone a little different danced down the aisle or mock them. These kids followed along no matter how silly or awkward the moves were and seemed to enjoy themselves the entire time.

     At this time I realized that I have NEVER been in a room full of that much loving, kindness, and acceptance. I found myself sitting back several times throughout the night with a slight smile on my face thinking how lucky I was to take part in this activity and spend time with such wonderful people!

     I was also incredibly excited when I realized that I was able to carry out an entire conversation without ever opening my mouth! My goal this year is to become conversational in sign language, so this was a huge accomplishment for me!
     Overall, the dance reminded me exactly what I am working for and re-energized my work for my platform. I cannot wait to travel this state, and hopefully this nation, to spread the message of hearing loss prevention and awareness!

     Saturday morning I woke up and started getting ready for the Polar Plunge, it was once again time to plunge into freezing cold water to raise money and awareness for the Special Olympics! As I moved about, getting things ready and putting on my swimsuit, shirt, and yoga pants, I thought back to my experience last year.

Plungers run all the way out to the mannequin



     Last year was my first experience ever taking the plunge and I remember thinking it was a great once-in-a-lifetime experience. I even remember questioning why anyone would do this more than once. Yet, I somehow found myself asking some of my sister queens to join me and plunge for the cause. Charissa Hauge, Miss Heartland, and Kalyssa Hoeffer, Miss Star City joined me Saturday morning walking around in the cold and enjoying the excitement radiating from all of the plungers.

I was so happy to spend the morning with these ladies!

 Kalyssa and I before the plunge

 Running into the frigid water

Running out!



     I think that is what brings people back every year - the energy and charity that is evident at the event is beyond many others. This is a group of people truly interested in making a difference and willing to go outside of their comfort zone to support those who deserve it!

 Team Shivering Star Wars

 Just Monkeying Around! ;)

Special Olympics Polar Bear



     After plunging last year, I thought I knew exactly what to expect and wasn't very worried as we prepared to start the days festivities as the first ones in! I quickly found out that plunging on your own is a lot different than plunging with others! The water was colder than I had expected and I had forgotten how muddy and sticky the lake bed was. I had trouble getting started and I got stuck a few times, but it was totally worth the experience!

 

One of the Special Olympics Board Members - what a brave soul!



     I am so happy that I went back to support the Special Olympics and I am thrilled that Charissa and Kalyssa joined me! It made the experience even better and I know they enjoyed it too!

Mario Kart!

     Before the plunge I asked one woman if she would mind using my camera to capture some pictures while we plunged and she kindly agreed. After the plunge (and changing into dry clothes!), I went back out to thank the lady and get my camera back. I started panicking a little when I couldn't find her. I did eventually find her, but the girls had already headed out by the time I was ready to go. On the way out, I happened to get stopped and interviewed by two news stations!

     The interviews are posted below - enjoy :)

http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/Taking-The-Plunge-For-A-Good-Cause-191543451.html

Hundreds Brave Icy Waters for Charity - www.kmtv.com

Pancakes and Pineapple!

    
     This past Tuesday marked one of my FAVORITE fundraisers/appearances - Free Pancake Day! IHOP generously offers free pancakes to people all day in exchange for donations to the Children's Miracle Network - and who doesn't love free food?
     As a titleholder, Children's Miracle Network is an organization that is very close to my heart! Part of my service includes raising awareness of, and funds for, the organization. The IHOP fundraiser allows me (and all of the other wonderful titleholders) a chance to do just this, informing people about the organization and asking people to help us raise millions of dollars for sick children in our nation.

     This year I was able to work with my newest sister queen, Steffani Jiroux. It was a wonderful opportunity because I got to know Steffani a little better and we had a wonderful time chatting with guests and talking during down time! I cannot wait to get to know Steffani even better!

     Despite the cold and rain that swept over Omaha this last Saturday, I donned a short dress, strappy heels, a tropical lei, and a flower in my hair and I headed out to the Hilton downtown. The task was simple - attend the Rosie Rocks the Luau Fundraiser for the Rose Theater and work as a ring model.

 Table Decoration

 Part of the Auction

Aloha!

     In an effort to raise funds for the Rose Outreach Program and provide classes, residencies, workshops, and school field trips, the Rose ran a Luau which included a GIANT auction, dinner, dancing, and presentations. I was astonished by the auction.  While I have served at my fair share of silent and live auctions, the Rose had an entire hallway (and a half) packed with items. They had everything ranging from gift cards and toys to trips and a special Taylor Swift package! They also had a gorgeous custom design ring that they asked me to show off!

 14k rose gold, 91 champagne colored diamonds

     It really was an honor that they entrusted me with something so special and allowed me to show it off throughout the evening. As I did this, I was able to meet many of the party-goers and have some nice conversations.

     Not only did I get to learn about each of the attendees, but I was also able to talk to people about Nebraska's claim to fame, Kool-Aid and the festival that celebrates it. It always amazes me how many people know that Kool-Aid was invented in Nebraska, but many of them do not know about the festival! I couldn't be more happy to fill them in!

Hands, Voices, and Hearts

    What better way is there to start a Saturday than by joining some bubbly little kids and hearing a story about that oh-so-wonderful groundhog who predicted an early spring? Getting to experience sign language while starting my day!
    One Saturday each month, Hands and Voices Nebraska hosts a Social Saturday in which they read and sign a story and then hang out for awhile. Considering how much I love to read, I was incredibly excited for this event! It just so happens that this months social combined the regular story-time at the library with the hands and voices event and it ended up being perfect! Having the combined event allowed children to develop a richer love for literacy, but it also exposed them to sign language and people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing at a young age.

     After the story, the kids even got to learn some sign language. It was great because I saw several parents trying to learn too! All we need to do is spread the message and make people aware and this seemed like a wonderful place to begin doing just that!
     I would encourage any individual to attend the next Social Saturday story-time on Saturday March 2nd at Swanson Library at 10A.M.!
    Saturday only got better too! Saturday night I had the honor to attend the 25th Annual Heart Ball for the American Heart Association. And let me tell you - this is what being Miss Kool-Aid Days is all about to me. Not only did I get to help an amazing cause (heart disease), but I also got to spend the evening with several of my Stepperette sisters as we helped bring in more funds. This is what being Miss Kool-Aid means to me - it means helping others in important causes and spending time with truly amazing people, including some phenomenal and giving friends!

My amazing teammates including Ashley Christenson - the woman who made all of this possible for us!

 

    After meeting my fellow sister queens and teammates, Rachel Foehlinger (Miss Lake McConaughy) and Aleah Peters (Miss Douglas County), we were able to take our places at bid boards that we would run for the night. Rachel and I shared a board for the evening, and she took over the first shift as Vanna, writing numbers across the board, while I took the mic and rallied the crowd to our deals.

    I have to admit that I was nervous at first and wasn't sure what to say, but it ended up being a lot of fun and I enjoyed having to stretch my creativity to talk up the items we had for bid! It felt like such an accomplishment when I would advertise a package and someone would bid on it because of that! Rachel and I made a great team and I was proud to see her really drive up and sell some of our big packages!

 

Aleah worked the girly table (shopping, fashion, fitness) and apparently got into the spirit, enjoying a little shopping spree! ;)

     After the bidding stopped, we got to join some of our other Stepperette teammates for dinner before handing out small prizes to those who donated to the America Heart Association outright.

 

    The excitement didn't end there however - Rachel , Aleah, and I found ourselves at the photobooth very soon and we had a blast taking silly pictures in large sunglasses and feather boas! It was so fun that we went twice and felt no shame in making silly faces at the camera!

    Finally, it was nearly time for us to retire for the evening, but we absolutely couldn't leave without meeting the Heart Ball King! Ian had visited our bid board earlier in the night, hoping to win tickets to the College World Series, but he ended up leaving that night with a new Ipad instead - and boy was he happy about that! Like any young boy, Ian was looking forward to playing video games on his new iPad and we guessed he would be up all night! I'm sure he must have gotten some sleep though because he was due to be at a basketball game early Sunday morning! Despite having a serious heart condition, Ian loves playing basketball and hopes to play in the NBA one day. It truly was an honor meeting him and having our picture taken with him!

Every Little Girl's Dream



 

 

    

     As I was getting ready for my event yesterday, I thought to myself that being a pageant girl is sort of every little girl's dream - at least in the sense that little girls dream of sashaying around in crowns and pretty dresses. If only we knew as little girls that the crown we imagined wearing as a little girl, was about so much more than simply dressing up and looking pretty.
     Really, one of the best parts about putting on the crown (besides the added sparkle) is knowing that I am on my way to help someone else and to get to know another amazing aspect of my community!

Ready to welcome princesses!

Some of the first arrivals!

     Yesterday was no exception to this belief! I was honored to have my friend and long-time twirling teammate, Rachel Foehlinger, invite myself and fellow twirler, Aleah Peters, to help with a fundraiser for Children's Miracle Network. The three of us, with the help of Sue Foehlinger, ran a Princess-For-A-Day event in which little girls from around the community came out to get their hair and makeup done, complete a princess craft, and learn modeling and a dance to perform for their parents!

 Kayleigh and Claire helping with crafts

 Two of our princesses waiting to get their hair done!

 One of the girls from my work ready to get her makeup done!

 Cute princess crafts!

 Learning a fun dance!

 One of my students dressed in her princess dress!

 

     While Rachel taught the dance and Aleah helped with modeling, I was able to run the hair, make-up, and crafts areas, ensuring that everything ran smoothly and assisting the little girls in their transitions. In addition to seeing the little girls transform into princesses, I had the opportunity to put participants in the hot seat, asking them interview questions ranging from their favorite color and activity to their favorite part of school and what kind of tree they would be if given the choice!

Aleah helping with modeling - so cute!

The six-year-olds all dolled up!

 

     In addition to the interviewing and observation, it was wonderful to see some of our other teammates helping to transform these girls and to see how sweet the girls were! At one point while doing crafts, a four-year old non-chalantly spoke to the girl next to her while working and stated "we should be best friends, ok" and continued working on her craft! It was incredibly adorable and reminded me why I love working with kids!

Rachel, Aleah, and I before the pageant!

     The very next day, the studio became home to 13 wonderful young ladies vying for the titles of Miss Lincoln, Miss Star City, or Miss Lincoln Outstanding Teen! It was great to watch the pageant from the comfort of my "second home" and the girls all did a phenomenal job! After a very tough competition, the judges chose Steffanie Jiroux to be Miss Lincoln, Brooke Ludemann to be Miss Star City, and Morgan Holen to be Miss Lincoln Outstanding Teen. All of these girls did a wonderful job and I hope they enjoy their journeys in the pageant world as much as I have this year! I also want to congratulate one of my fellow sister queens, Kalyssa Hoeffer, on winning first runner up, she did wonderfully!

     I just love this photo (compliments of Miss Heartland) - welcome to the club ladies!

Empowering Women

    

     Last Saturday, after the Hands and Voices social (and a few hours of practice) I had the honor of attending a masquerade ball for the Metro Omaha Women's Business Center. The business center is all about empowering women to be financially stable by providing education and assistance to women in our community.
     The ball was held to raise money and honor a woman with a grant to use toward starting a small business. This is such an amazing opportunity for the women of Nebraska. I even learned that the first woman who was awarded a grant nearly tripled the investment made by the organization!

    

      It really was an honor to attend such a wonderful event and I sincerely enjoyed greeting guests as they came off the "runway" and directing them toward the silent auction!

     One of the most fun parts of the night had to be hanging out with the 2012 Mrs. Nebraska, Kandis Friedenbach. I haven't had much exposure to the Mrs. Nebraska pageant and it was great learning about it and getting to know Kandis! I want to wish her the best of luck as she competes for the title of Mrs. America in August!

Nebraska Hands and Voices

   

One of the cutest little girls - I am hoping to keep up with her acquisition of sign language as we both learn!

 

     This past Saturday was the first time I was able to attend a social for Nebraska Hands and Voices, a local non-profit whose aim is to support families of children with hearing loss. The group is just beginning quarterly socials where deaf and hard of hearing children and adults (as well as their families) are able to get together and socialize. This particular Saturday the social took place at AV Sorenson Community Center in Omaha.
     I have to admit that I was nervous for this event. After one semester of sign language, I came to the conclusion that sign language is difficult to learn and that I wanted to finish my elementary education degree before diving into sign language whole-heartedly. That means, however, that I have not seriously used sign language in about a year.
     I had no reason to worry however. There was a great mix of hearing, deaf, and hard-of-hearing people there Saturday and everyone was more than willing to help me communicate and take things slow.
     It was extremely interesting talking to families of children with hearing loss and I feel I gained a lot of insight. In fact, as I talked to families, we discussed the failure of our society to communicate with individuals who are deaf or hard-of hearing. I personally feel that people fail to communicate with individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing because they don't know much about hearing loss or sign language and they often feel intimidated by sign language.
     My goal as Miss Kool-Aid Days is to spread awareness about hearing loss and communicating with people who have hearing loss. Not only do I want to speak to students around the state about hearing loss, I would also love to teach at least a little sign language when I give speeches.
     I was fortunate enough to meet many kids at the event who seemed more than willing to help me learn the important sign language to teach when I give speeches.

One of the young boys who was willing to stop his game long enough for a picture :)

 

     Among the kids I met throughout the day, Austin was one of my favorites. Austin has been deaf for most of his life. After getting implants, he can hear quite well, but he can not talk very much. When Austin finally slowed down long enough to talk to me, he listened and watched as I signed and talked to him and he was kind enough to correct me or teach me a sign when I was having trouble!
     I was sincerely honored to attend the event with Nebraska Hands and Voices this past weekend. The parents who run the organization do a fantastic job! They are also the ones arranging monthly readings/signings of books at public libraries and the mentoring program that I am so excited to take part in! The deaf and hard-of-hearing community in Nebraska is truly lucky to have them!
     I also learned two great websites for practicing/learning sign language - check them out and learn some sign!
     aslpro.com
     signingsavvy.com

Can You Hear Me Now: Hearing Loss Prevention

      One night at practice, a teammate asked me about my platform. As I explained my choice of hearing loss, she was surprised to learn that I had lost the hearing in my left ear. It was at that point that I relized I have not really shared my story with many people. I decided it was time to change this - so here is my story - a story about hearing loss, why it's prevention is important to me, and why it should be important to you.
      Eight years ago, as I sat around at an extracurricular activity chatting with friends, my left ear began ringing. Ringing ears aren't exactly a phenomenon and we've all experienced it. The only problem is that the ringing didn't stop - Not the day it started, the next day, or even the next week. I later noticed that I also couldn't hear in my left ear.
      Concerned, I went to see a doctor about the problem. I was assured nothing was wrong and sent on my way - twice! Finally on the third visit (after three weeks of no hearing in my left ear) I insisted that something needed to be done. I went right over to see an ear, nose, and throat doctor who immediately informed me that I had a virus that had killed almost all of the cells in my ear - including the balance cells. The otolaryngologist added that, had the virus been found earlier, it is possible that the effects could have been reversed and I may have regained some of my hearing.
      There I was, 14 years old, suffering from hearing loss and left to deal with it on my own. I was continually surrounded by people, but no one who could understand what I was going through. I was scared and didn't want to say anything to those around me to indicate that I couldn't hear what they said. I tried simply turning my good ear toward the speaker, but it wasn't always that easy, especially in noisy or large spaces. I found myself becoming more withdrawn socially and finding it more difficult to get involved in conversations - so many times, I simply didn't try.
     As if that weren't hard enough for a teenage girl, I lost all of the balance cells in my left ear. My balance wasn't exactly top notch before the hearing loss, as I noticed constantly during my early twirling career, and losing those balance cells didn't really help the situation! It was a long battle to regain my balance, learning how to spin and jump again, so that I could continue to pursue my passion of twirling baton.
    I was again faced by the difficulties of my hearing loss when I began my work at an after-school program. With deafness in one ear, I have trouble placing where sounds are coming from. When a kid is shouting "Kimmy!" I often have no idea where the noise is coming from and I have to look all around to find the source of the voice. The kids have learned to deal with the loss, but I still worry if there was ever an emergency.
     It has taken a long time for me to come out of my shell again. In fact, I really came out of my shell when I became more involved in my community and began attending events as part of my involvement in the Miss Nebraska Pageant. Through my involvement with the pageant system, I have learned how to put myself out there, adapt so that I can hear as well as possible, and to share my story with those I meet.
    I have effectively learned how to be my own advocate which is something that all people who go through hearing loss need to do. You don't really look at someone and know they have experienced hearing loss (unless you see their hearing aid). It therefore becomes the responsibility of the individual with hearing loss to adjust and to speak out and let others know that they may need some help.
   This is exactly why I want to speak out and let people know how to prevent hearing loss, how to recognize the signs of hearing loss, and about hearing loss in general. Plus, I cannot think of a better way to make this difference than through my pageant platform because it has made such a change for me!
   As I promote my platform of hearing loss prevention, I am incredibly grateful for the resources and support of some truly phenomenal organizations! I am excited to work with the Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Hands and Voices, and the Olive Osmond Hearing Fund! Each group will be featured here throughout the coming months as I work with them in the name of hearing loss!