2010 Wrap Up

I want to thank everyone for the opportunity of serving as Mrs. Kansas US 2010. It has truly been an amazing year! I feel so honored to represent our state! The best part has been meeting so many incredible, generous people. I have had the privilege of volunteering at so many community events, riding in 2 parades, and giving back to my community through many different venues.

My most recent adventure was helping honor the residents of Safehome by treating them to a new wardrobe, makeovers, and a professional photo shoot. Safehome is a facility that provides shelter for battered women and their children here in Johnson County, Kansas. I was invited to participate with Hoffman International Model & Talent Agency. The idea to pamper these women came about from a local hair stylist here in Kansas City. This story was featured on KCTV5's morning show on Christmas Eve by anchor Kelly Jones. I enjoyed meeting these young women at Safehome and sharing this fun experience with each of them. I was able to present each of them with a gift bag full of products and services donated by generous local businesses. Many thanks to Hoffman Model's for inviting me and gathering all of these donations.

Throughout this past month I have witnessed the spirit of giving to others alive and in action! I have met many "angels" in and around my community. From helping sort donations for Angels for Afton to volunteering at Safehome, I am reminded of how fortunate I am to be able to share my time and resources with others. May God bless each one of you in the coming New Year! I look forward to many great things in 2011!

Angels for Afton

Hello everyone! I am excited to take all of my donations to a "sorting party" tomorrow morning. A group of Kansas City area volunteers are gathering and sorting all of the donations collected for the children of Afton, Oklahoma. A group of volunteers are driving down to Afton on Monday to deliver everything and watch the children perform their holiday program at their school.

On another note, I invited all of the contestants at the 2011 Mrs. Kansas and Mrs. Oklahoma America pageants (being held in Oklahoma) to join me in gathering children's clothing, books, personal care items, backpacks and food. We are going to present our collective donations to a representative from Afton at our January 22 pageant in Guthrie, Oklahoma! I will compete in this pageant in 2011 as Mrs. Kansas City.

As I prepare to go visit family and friends in Wichita next week, I am reminded of how fortunate I am to have my health, my family,a home, food, and such wonderful opportunities to serve others. I have met the neatest people during my reign as Mrs. Kansas US 2010. I will continue to promote my platform of skin cancer prevention and awareness in the new year! I am currently helping organize a 5K run/walk in the KC area that will raise awareness for melanoma (skin cancer). The run will be held May 28, 2011 and proceeds will go to the Kansas City Cancer Center, which provides financial help to people battling cancer.

Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!

Holiday Challenge from Mrs. Kansas US 2010

Hi Kansas queens and friends! I recently became aware of a small community in Oklahoma where 80% of the children live at or below poverty. They have established a website on Google at http://www.sites.google.angelsforafton.com/

I challenge all current and past Kansas queens to get involved by making an online donation or delivering toys, gently used children's clothing, personal care item, body wash, or food to this wonderful cause. I plan to help at the "sorting party" here in the Kansas City area this Saturday morning. I am taking 3 huge bags of clothing with me to donate and whatever else can fit in my vehicle! Join me in giving something to children living right here in the midwest who have nothing. Blessings to all of you!
Stephanie

Lenexa Christmas Tree Lighting

I had so much fun helping with the City of Lenexa holiday lighting ceremony on Friday evening! I got to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus! It was fun to see my sister queen, Allie Marx there as well. After the lighting ceremony, I helped children of all ages shop for their family members at the holiday store. It was fun to see kids from 18 months through 14 years old go in to select gifts for mom, dad, siblings, grandma, grandpa, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. They each came out with smiles on their little faces, proud that they selected a surprise gift for Christmas for a loved one! I especially enjoyed seeing all of the kids faces light up when Santa appeared. It was fun to watch kids of all ages give him high-fives and big hugs:)

November - Jr Miss

Allie wasn't quite as busy this month, but she did get to volunteer at our library's annual book sale. One of Allie's favorite past times is reading so she was excited to help out at the sale. She had a great time organizing the books and helping kids pick out books. Allie also had a chance to buy some books for herself.

During her Thanksgiving break Allie and her sisters made blankets to donate to Childrens Mercy Hospital. They were able to make 11 blankets to donate.

Update with Miss Teen Kansas- World!

WOW! What a crazy past few months I have had! From working at the breast cancer and light the night walks to working with the Olathe Youth Congress to put some major changes into my own community and school district and even working hand in hand with Project Warmth to provide winter coats to those in need and also getting to volunteer in the theatre in the park costume closet and work with some of the costumes that i have at some point been able to preform in! Lets just say I have been doing a lot of things and keeping very busy! I have to say thought that my very favorite thing I have gotten to do over my year of reign is getting to be apart of my first hollywood movie production! When I went to nationals this summer one of the judges there (shout out to Steven Roddy! I will always be your FAVORITE pageant girl), owned a website called The Pageant Planet. I was browsing the website one day, which I suggest you all do because it has some AMAZING information on there, when randomly I came across a contest called the “Make Me Famous” contest. I figured that I might as well enter it. Shoot, what did I have to lose?! So I did and a few short days later I was getting a phone call (another shout out to Candace Howard! Love you!) saying I was the lucky winner!! My dad and I went down to Georgia so i could film and it was easily the best week of my life. This industry is so eye opening and I feel blessed everyday to have been given that opportunity! The movie is called Fishers of Men and comes out in spring 2011!! So far this year has been off to a great start and there are lots of things coming up that I cant wait to share with you all! But what I can tell you right now is to keep dreaming those crazy and out there dreams because I am living proof that any thing is possible if you never let someone tell you otherwise!

October Appearances - Jr Miss

Allie volunteered at the Lenexa Chili Festival as a Recycle Ambassador. She went around to the booths asking them if they would be apart of the Green Team by recycling the items she had on her list. Everyone was super nice and agreed to recylce.



Deanna Rose Farmstead-
Allie volunteered at the Night of the Living farm, a family event with old-fashioned lanterns and carved pumpkins that lead costumed trick or treaters through pathways of graves and ghouls. Allie helped at the flash light scavenger hunt. She also volunteered at the pumpkin patch helping with the games.

Allie rode in her first parade as Jr Miss United States World. She was in the KU Homecoming parade. She had a lot of fun especially since she got to see her big brother who attends KU.

Battle of the Badges was another event Allie volunteered at. It was held in Topeka KS and it is a football game between the Police and Fire Departments to raise money for Special Olympics. We set up a table and applied tattoos to the kids attending the game.

The last 3 weekends have been very busy for Allie. She participated in the Step Up Walk for Downs Syndrome. The walk raised over $400,000- All proceeds benefit the Down Syndrome Guild of Greater KC.
Down Syndrome Facts:
-Down syndrome is the most commonly occurring genetic condition with an incidence of 1 in every 733 births.
-There are currently over 400,000 individuals living with Down syndrome in the United States.
-There are approximately 5,000 babies born with Down syndrome each year in the United States.
-There are approximately 50 babies born with Down syndrome each year in the greater Kansas City area.
-Down syndrome is one of the leading clinical causes of cognitive delay in the world - it is not related to race, nationality, religion or socio-economic status.
-With appropriate support, individuals with Down syndrome can lead fulfilling lives and be contributing members of society.

Allie also volunteered as a team runner for a Special Olympics Bocce Tournament. She also got to hand out medals at the end of the games.

The next weekend she volunteered at a special event close to our hearts. The John Glaser Memorial 5 K run. The inaugural 5K Run/Walk was being held in honor of Shawnee firefighter John Glaser who lost his life this summer while on duty, and benefits the Surviving Spouse and Family Endowment Fund (SAFE) support the families of Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters and Emergency Services Personnel in the Kansas City metropolitan area who have perished while protecting our community and our citizens.

Finally Allie raised money and participated in the Light the Night Walk, it is the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's nationwide evening walk to build awareness of blood cancers and raise funds for cures. Walkers carry illuminated balloons-white for survivors, red for supporters and gold for those walking in memory-to celebrate and commemorate lives touched by cancer.

Funds raised by participants support the Society's mission: cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma. Children, adults and seniors all take part in the annual Walk.

This is Allie's 3rd year to participate with a group of friends we have met through pageants. The group is called "Kansas Royalty" We always have a great time getting together and walking for such a great cause.

September Fun with Mrs. Kansas US 2010

Hello all! It has been a busy and fun September so far! I started September at Louisburg Cider Mill with a large group of energetic kindergartners! We saw how they make the cider and apple donuts, and of course sampled both! Next, I ran on a relay team on September 11th in The Patriot's Run in Olathe to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11 and raise money for the Salvation Army. Our team got 5th overall and ran over 50 miles!
I celebrated my 40th birthday this past week with family and friends. The celebration started last weekend with a virtual food drive to collect food for Harvester's Community Food Network in Kansas City. We were able to donate almost 1,000 meals! I spent the afternoon sorting fresh fruit and veggies. I have never seen so many tomatoes, bell peppers and jalepenos in my life! I enjoyed lunch with one of my best friends, dinner with family, and a girls night out birthday celebration later in the week with my small group from church. I have never laughed so much!
I am looking forward to being in the downtown Overland Park parade tomorrow morning! I am #54 and will be in a blue convertible Corvette! Will post pictures soon!

KC Zoo Fun Run & Bikers for Babies

Allie volunteered as a course monitor for the Kansas City Zoo Fun run which supports a different endangered speicies each year. This year was for the Polar Bears. The next day we were up bright and early to register bikers for KC's Bikers for Babies. More than 6,000 motorcycle riders gathered at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, September
19, for the 16th Annual Kansas City Bikers for Babies. Riders and sponsors contributed more than $700,000, surpassing the amount raised in 2009 and the March of Dimes 2010 goal.

Heroes & Halos

Heroes and Halos National Childhood Cancer Awareness Day Celebration is a fun-filled event for children and families affected by childhood cancer. It gives children that are battling cancer a chance to just be a kid and have a day of fun away from the hospital. It is also an opportunity for families that have lost children to cancer to memorialize and remember their special angels. Allie spent the day at this event with her sisters, the Brownings, Leets & the Hopkirks. They painted faces and helped with crafts. This is the second year Allie has volunteered at this event and truly enjoys it.

Bikers For Babies/American Girl Grand Opening

Allie volunteered at the Bikers For Babies preregistration event at Harley Davidson with her sisters. The Kansas City Bikers for Babies is the largest and most successful March of Dimes motorcycle ride in the nation. Bikers for Babies has raised more than $5.06 million in Kansas City in its 16-year history. Funds raised by Bikers for Babies support local research grants focused on issues related to premature birth and community programs such as NICU Family Support. Allie helped check in the bikers to make sure they had all of their paperwork filled out. She was also able to sign some autographs, which she loves to do. After the Bikers for Babies event we stopped by the Grand Opening of the American Girl doll store. Allie is a big fan of American Girl and has a small collection of them. She was so excited to be able to attend the Grand Opening in our area. The employees gave her a warm welcome and helped her pick out a doll (Felicity) to add to her collection.

Tour De Shawnee

Allie, her sister Maggie and friend Carney volunteered for the Tour de Shawnee, an annual bike tour around the bicycle-friendly city of Shawnee, Kansas. Riders can choose from a 12-mile or 24-mile route. This year the ride benefitted the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The girls were course monitors, directing bikers and cheering them on.

Touch A Truck Event in Overland Park

Hello from Mrs. Kansas US 2010! I attended the City of Overland Park's 50th Anniversary event called Touch A Truck today! It was also a benefit for Harvester's food bank here in Kansas City. They had a huge turnout of over 5,000 people and collected thousands of pounds of food for Harvester's! I ran out of lollipops and autograph cards about half way into the event! I met the mayor of Overland Park, the Bomb Squad, Cesar the police dog from the K-9 unit, and saw many friends and their families today!

Miss Teen World Pageant - Houston TX

Allie was invited to Houston to attend the Miss Teen World pageant. What an amazing experience this was for her, to meet some of the worlds most oustanding young ladies and help crown the new Miss Teen World. A big thanks to Gaspar Cruz for giving her this opportunity.

Update from Mrs. Kansas

Hello all! What a great weekend in Kansas City! I made an appearance at Olathe Bible Church on Saturday and helped them raise money for Autism Speaks. I am not a huge car fan, but I am really learning alot at these car shows. It is so fun to hear the owners tell the stories behind the cars and meet their families. I also got to meet KC Wolf (the Chiefs mascot), what fun!

This morning I ran a 5K at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. I have never seen so many people come together for a charity race. It was awesome to see a sea of white and pink running around Crown Center and Union Station. The KC area race raised over $1 million dollars! I ran with some friends from my gym and got my personal best time of 26:56! It was hot out but I was so inspired by seeing all of the survivors and reading who people were walking in memory of.

Have a blessed week everyone!

News from Mrs. Kansas

Wow, I can't believe it is already August! I just returned from Mississippi where I competed at nationals for the title of America's Mrs. US. I won 1st runner up! I had fun seeing friends and meeting new friends!

This Saturday, August 7th, I will make an appearance at The Olathe Bible Church "Cruisin Car Show." I will be at the Autism Speaks booth and look forward to seeing everyone! I look forward to running in the Kansas City Race for the Cure on Sunday morning. I will run the timed 5k with several of my running buddies!

I am "in training" to partner with Animal Haven, a Kansas City area no-kill pet shelter, to make presentations at various community events to increase awareness of their organization, their lost pet center, and their on-going need for support and volunteers!

I am looking forward to the start of school in a few short weeks and plan to read to children in some elementary classrooms around the area.

I am having a blast serving as Mrs. Kansas US 2010 and am continually reminded of what an honor it is to hold this title and represent our wonderful state.

Camp Quality

Today Allie spent the day at Camp Quality - Camp Quality is a non-profit organization that provides free camping experiences and year-round support programs for children with cancer, and their families. Allie spent the day volunteering at the carnival for the campers and she also went swimming with them. It was a great day and she had a lot of fun spending time with the campers, she even got to see her friend Hailey who was a camper.

Mrs. Kansas at Rez Car Show in Leawood

Hello from Mrs. Kansas US 2010! I had a blast at the 9th annual Rez Car Show in Leawood this morning. It was a beautiful sunny day. I enjoyed meeting all of the car owners and hearing their stories! My favorites were the 1969 Mustangs and other models from that year. I'm sure they raised alot of money for charity! What a great group of people.

Miss Teen United States Final Pageant

Today, Allie spent the day in rehearsal with the contestants preparing for her 1st official appearence as Jr Miss Untited States World. The final pageant was amazing and she was so excited to find out who her sister queen would be. Faith, her Kansas sister queen, did an amazing job and placed in the top 10 and was named Miss Personalilty. Way to go Faith! Allie was so excited when Belle Owen, Miss Kentucky, was named Miss Teen United States World and couldn't wait to spend the next couple of days getting to know her.