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.