Rookie Run 2013

Saturday May 11, 2013 my husband and I volunteered as start line coordinator for the 500 Festival Rookie Run! It is the kids race that is put on each year and have over 1,000 kids sign up to run! As a start line coordinator, my husband and I were in charge of getting all the 500 Festival princess, volunteers, parents, and kids where they need to be. Racers range in age from 3 years to 12 years. Each kid gets a tee shirt and a metal for finishing! After the kids finish with the race, there are food vendors, rides, free goodies, and music the rest of the day at monument circle! Next year my Kenna will be able to run and i am totally looking forward to it! I love my city of Indianapolis and all it does for its people!

I love getting opportunities to volunteer for all the amazing events my city has to offer!

My view of the event! 1,000 kids plus parents waiting to run as the race gets ready to start!

Getting all the volunteers and Princess ready and set!

I'm ready to run! Do I pass for a kiddo?!

 Here are media photos from the event! Such amazing images of this awesome day! Be sure to check back for a drive close ot my heart that I will be participating in next week!

Until next time friends!

Gavin DeGraw and Jon McLaughlin VIP

Today was a very busy but fun day! Tonight, I was beyond blessed to be VIP at the Gavin DeGraw and Jon McLaughlin concert at the Indy 500 Concert Series! It was fun and SO NICE to be able to walk right up to the VIP section right next to the stage and not have to fight with the HUGE crowd that turned out to see the duo! Sitting with media and the 500 Festival Princesses, to name a few, was such an honor!

The Indy 500 has, what seems like, a month long festival! From concerts to the Mini Marathon, the largest kid's day in the country to the Indy 500, there is so much to do during the month of April and May in Indianapolis! Enjoy the pics from this awesome night!

My little lady and i enjoying the concert from VIP seats!

The official car of the Indy 500

Gavin DeGraw! We had the best seats there!!!

"We've Got Your Back"

                                        


Today I had the honor to participate in a benefit walk for a cause that is dear to my heart. The walk was the "We've Got Your Back" benefit for the Spinal Research Foundation. I was also interviewed by channel 6 news for my involvement with this event! I had family support while I walked for this cause that means so much to me. My sister-in-law, a NYC Radio City Rockette, felt passionate about the cause as well and decided to join me in my walk! She flew in all the way from NYC to visit for the weekend and walk with me!

Ms. Captivating teamed up with a NYC Rockette, Sarah Staker, to walk for Spinal Research Foundation

Spinal health is a cause that effects me directly and chronic back pain has effected my day-to-day living and has threatened my dreams for a long time. I began getting treatment for back pain at the age of 18. The doctor found that I had an extra lumbar vertebrae, I had mild degenerative disc disease, and arthritis. I was told that I would need life time treatment and therapy to control the pain and that I may not be able to walk in heels- AKA: no pageantry. I was discouraged but would not let my back pain define me.

Runner #954

My family there for support means the world to me!

I still have back pain. Some days the pain is a dull ache and other days I can barely get out of bed.  I don't go a day without the pain reminding me that I need to take care of my back. I recently had to do 6 weeks of intense physical therapy, ultrasound therapy, and traction, and currently have difficulty bending (which I am currently working on). Watching my put on shoes and socks is rather comical. But, I will not let my back pain tell me what I can and cannot do in life. I just have to learn to adjust.

Until next time friends!

Stephanie Staker
Ms. Captivating '12-'13

www.spinerf.org

Photo Shoot #2

Long time no blog! Ahh! Please forgive me! With the holidays and me starting my last semester of my BSN program, I have barely had time to breathe! I promise to post at least once month until nationals this summer! I'll have my director hold me to it!

What an awesome weekend! I love having a girls glam day with my sister queens! Kayce, Alison and I got together this weekend for yet another fabulous photo shoot!  I even had a mini photo shoot with my husband and daughter! That was a blast! I'm jealous that after my year as queen is over this summer, another fabulous lady will get to walk in my shoes and get to experience a Studio RM photo shoot with her new sister queens! I don't want this year to end! Here are a few pics of our awesome weekend! Who will get to experience a fabulous and glamorous year like my sister queens and I?

OMG! What more could a girl want! Jewelry, shoes, and clothes!

Ms Captivating, Stephanie Staker

Strike a pose!

Teen Captivating, Kayce Patton! She was totally rockin' the bun!

Miss Captivating, Alison Warchol! This girl can make anything look AMAZING!

 

Such a fun day!

Be sure to check back to see what else I have planned for the rest of the year! I already have 2 events planned for the month of April and 1 in May!

Until next time friends!

Locks of Love

Locks of Love has been an organization that I am passionate about. I thank God that I was blessed with beautiful, long, thick hair. But, there are children out there that are not as blessed due to illness. Alopecia is the #1 cause of permanent hair loss for children. Radiation and chemotherapy are a cause of long-term hair loss. Imagine if you were that child growing up with no hair- imagine the constant stares and whispers. All while you were battling a disease you yourself did not understand- and trying to find yourself and gain confidence in who you were at the same time. This time in those children's lives must be a hard because I know it was hard for me and I looked normal.

 I decided when i was 18 to donate my hair for the first time. I heard about Locks of Love from a hair dresser of mine. I wanted to cut my hair one day and she suggested I donate it. I had this sense of freedom in losing so much hair, but also felt this sense that I finally found a way for me to give of myself to help someone else. So at the age of 18, 21, 24, and 27, I have given in the most humbling way that I can think of- giving up what has always defined me: my hair.

Here we go!

10 inches donated for a sweet child

I have received a lot of negative comments and have those who do not support me. You can not believe it? Neither can I. I have been told that i do not look good with short hair. I have been told that it will hurt my chances of winning a pageant and i am just asking to loss. I have been told that my efforts are in vain. i have been told that I am losing myself. I am confidant in myself and the way that I look that I try to explain that I do not need my hair to feel beautiful about myself: but a child does.

I try to explain it like this: what if your 7 year old child woke up one day and all their hair was laying on their pillow? Gone. Fallen completely out. How would they feel? What would they think? How would YOU feel as a parent? Embarrassed? Heart-broken? Praying to God to please make it all better? Locks of Love does just that. They have answered the prayers of 2,000 children and parents every year. And they can not answer those prayers unless people like myself donate hair.

Fact: it take 10-30 hair donations to make 1 wig. Yes. You heard me correctly. Amazing huh?

That is why donations are vital. I have 3 friends that pledged to donate hair with me. And to them, I am forever grateful! Will you join me and make a pledge to donate? You only need 10 inches for Locks of Love. If you want to donate but do not have enough hair? You can still donate! How, you ask? Because they will sell your hair to other wig companies to offset the cost to make a wig.

Fact: it costs $1,000 to make 1 wig- YES! $1,000 to process, disinfect, sort, and sew in the hair strand to make just 1 wig. By donating too short hair, the sales from it go towards offsetting the cost to make a wig.

To date I have donated over 50 inches of hair...

So will YOU pledge to donate with me?

Here are images from my last 2 donations:

October 2009: 2 ponytails- 10inches each!

December 2012: 1 ponytail- 10 inches long!!

 Until next time friends...

Why Are You Competing?

This is the number one question in pageantry- Why do you want to win? This is a question that has never failed to be asked of me at each interview. And so, this is something that I feel is important for anyone competing to be 100% sure of.

Why are you competing? Are you merely competing because you want the CROWN? Or are you competing because you want the TITLE? I think girls sometimes get these two ideas confused. If you are competing for the crown, then that usually means your reign ends there. You have reached your goal of getting the crown. Period. The end. If your goal is to win the title, then your goal has just begun. Opportunities for you have just begun. You want more- you see this as a job, a mission.

The next time you think about competing, ask yourself WHY. A titleholder doesn't win the crown, put it up on a shelf, and that's it. A titleholder promotes her system and crown. To be a successful titleholder, you have to see the title as a part-time job. It requires dedication, devotion, and self-discipline. I am a firm believer that if you are not ready to devote time into promoting the title you are competing for, then you obviously are not ready to hold the title.

Think of it like this- Would you expect to look for a job, but once you get one, not work for your money? Absolutely not. You would be fired. The same should be applied to being a titleholder. You shouldn't expect to win but not do anything with your new title. Because, the girl standing next to you as your runner-up probably wanted the TITLE and not only the CROWN and would have given her all to PROMOTE the system and her TITLE. By not taking advantage of the opportunities to promote yourself and your system if given the chance to be a titleholder, you are not only doing a disservice to your system but a disservice to yourself. And you took away the opportunity for another girl to be what is expected of you.

The next time you are asked: "Why do you want to be ...?", really know the answer. Do you want the CROWN? Or do you want the TITLE? Do you want a shiny trophy to put on a shelf? Or do you want the job of holding the title? Know your goals, know your WHY.

My self quote that I truly live by is:

DO NOT DO ANYTHING UNLESS YOU ARE AT A PLACE IN YOUR LIFE TO DO IT TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY.

Until next time friends...

Sierra's Haven Christmas Benefit

Thursday November 15, the Office of Community Development in Portsmouth, Ohio held a benefit fundraiser for Sierra's Haven for their outstanding service to the southern Ohio community. Since 2006, Sierra's Haven has spayed/neutered over 6,000 animals and house over 200 animals at a time until they are adopted out. I have adopted 3 of my fur-babies from this fabulous organization and felt the need to give back to not only this organization but to the community that I once called home.

 So, with the help of family and friends, we collected supplies and donated them to Sierra's Haven to help out with some of their needs.

Thank you all for the donations and effort in helping me help the community that I grew up in!

Packing up my goodies for Sierra's Haven

There are still a few more days in the "Thanksgiving" month to give back to a special organization! I challenge every one of you to give back to at least one organization that is doing good for your community! Thank them by giving...


Until next time friends...

the Office of Community Development will host a Christmas benefit on behalf of Sierra’s Haven - “for their outstanding service to the community,”

Read more: Portsmouth Daily Times - City hosts event for Sierra’s Haven