"Stuck With de Bill"

One of the things that I have always loved about being a part of the Miss America Organization is the opportunities it affords me to meet incredible people. Michael Scholl is one of those people. He is an avid pageant fan who friended me on social media about a year ago. Michael is a constant supporter and promoter of all events presented by the Miss NY Class of 2014. If he is available, he makes sure to attend them, as well.

A few months ago Michael contacted me to invite my family and I to the dress rehearsal for the Inner Circle's annual performance, which is a time honored NY tradition at the New York Hilton. The Inner Circle is an American parody group made up of seasoned reporters, bloggers, web journalists, and television and radio personalities. It hosts an event every year in March at the New York Hilton, and each year the show has a different theme. There is a strict "no professional talent" rule. This year's theme was "Stuck With de Bill."

The dress rehearsal - which is open to friends and family - is free. The actual show has many politicians and celebrities in attendance and tickets can cost over $700! Where does all of this money go? Well, the Inner Circle's members get to pick their own charity to donate a portion of the proceeds to and I was more than honored when Michael told me that he would like to donate to one of my organizations.

My family and I were not quite sure what to expect but what we got was something that far surpassed anything we might have conceived. When we arrived at the venue, the line to get into the ballroom was insane! There were at least a thousand people there! We quickly found some seats, which, I might add, were awesome!

While we waited for the show to begin, I mingled with the crowd, took some pictures and met some of the cast. People must have thought I was part of the show because I was asked several times if I was "the REAL Miss Staten Island!"

The show began and all I can say is WOW! From start to finish, it was nothing but incredible; professional, hysterically funny and completely entertaining. I was even able to pick out several television reporters I knew!

To make the night even more spectacular, we were invited back to a private party for the cast and their families after the show. I was able to meet and speak with news anchors and reporters, including NJ Burkett and Dan Mannarino, and Beth Karas (the President of the Inner Circle). I was beyond honored to also meet and speak with legendary newsman Gabe Pressman, who just turned 90 this year!

After the night was over, I spoke with Michael about who I would be choosing to receive the donation. I am thrilled to announce that the Inner Circle will be including "Gianna Nicole's Heart Of Hope Foundation" on this year's donation list. This organization does incredible work assisting families affected by pediatric cancer. They believe that "no family should ever have to endure the burden of financial difficulty while fighting for their child’s life" and I completely agree.

Thank you, Michael, for always supporting the Miss New York Organization and its titleholders. We are all so grateful for your assistance in all that we do. I would also like to personally thank you for allowing me to take part in this New York City tradition, while helping a worthy organization along the way! Congratulations on a wonderful show!

IS 24's Senior Show

I always love going back to visit my former schools in any capacity. A few weeks back, I had the honor of being a special guest at I.S. 24’s Senior Show, The Pirates of Penzance, produced and directed by none other than my former Performing Arts teacher, the legendary Tracey Rosenberg. As a graduate of this very program, I was excited to see how it had (or hadn't) changed over the years.

When we arrived, I went backstage to the dressing room to visit the cast. There were frenzied preparations and an air of pre-performance excitement that is like no other. I noticed one of the bulletin boards entitled “Wall of Fame” with pictures of former students who went on to become “famous” and, to my surprise, I was on it! That was pretty cool! 

With the cast finally ready for showtime, we were escorted to front row seats to see this 8th Grade tradition. I remember being on that stage when I was a senior in Oliver. I had the role of Bette, who had no speaking lines but sang solos throughout the show. Go figure…me, a singer! Before the show started I was introduced and I was even able to promote my upcoming benefit, "The HOPE Project."  Then, it was SHOWTIME! 

What an incredibly talented bunch! I was so impressed with everyone involved from cast, to crew, to backstage assistants. The singing was fabulous and the acting was perfection. I have to say, I laughed out loud quite a few times. Ms. Rosenberg never ceases to amaze me with her talents and flair for relating to her kids. They love her, as do I. Thanks for inviting me. It was my pleasure and I hope to visit again very soon!

Up 'til Dawn

Whenever an opportunity arises to support an event involving my platform, I try to do whatever I can to be there -- even if it involves no sleep. That’s why when I was contacted by Janay Bates of St. Jude to take part in their Up ‘til Dawn event at my alma matter, Wagner College, I immediately said yes. I had taken part in this ALL night event as an undergraduate at Wagner and I couldn’t wait to be a part of it once again.

Up 'til Dawn is a nationwide student-led, student-run program in which college students raise funds for and awareness of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The event attempts to unite the entire campus and surrounding community to acknowledge their achievements and honor patients at St. Jude, an event at which students stay “Up ‘til Dawn.” The students’ motto is “cancer doesn’t sleep, so neither should we.” The program is called “Up ‘til Dawn” to symbolize the countless nights that parents stay up with their sick children. This program is hosted by more than 180 colleges nationwide.

As usual, my Mom accompanied me and we armed ourselves with Dunkin’ coffee. Yeah, I was definitely going to need that since the event began at 12 midnight! When we arrived, there were already several students in The Union. I was thrilled to see some of my AOII sisters there in support of St. Jude. There was an assortment of snacks, energy drinks, pasta and desserts to keep everyone going thru the night.

The evening began with some words from Janay and a short video featuring Maggie, a cancer survivor. It really put into perspective what we were all there for; to show our support for children who are facing the hardest battle of their lives. Throughout the night there were games to play, songs to sing and a magician who is a student at Wagner who was pretty amazing. I’m still trying to figure out how the tricks worked!

I am constantly working to promote my platform, "Inspiring Action Against Pediatric Cancer," and these students from Wagner are doing the same. They are getting their peers involved and educating them on the statistics. Together, we can be a strong voice for children with cancer. Thank you Janay for inviting me to this event and to the Wagner College community for welcoming me back!

Pancakes, Donations, and Miracles

The Miss America Organization's national platform is The Children’s Miracle Network (CMN). In addition to our own platform, every titleholder spends time supporting this worthy organization which raises funds for children's hospitals across the country, medical research and community awareness of children's health issues. In March, I was more than excited to visit the Staten Island IHOP for National Pancake Day to support CMN. Of course, the added bonus of free pancakes made it even better! To raise money for CMN, every diner gets a free short stack of pancakes and, in return, they will hopefully donate a few dollars to CMN.

When I arrived at IHOP the line was insane! There were so may people that my mom and I had a hard time even getting in the door. When we were finally inside we were greeted by Jessica, the manager, who asked me to make my way around the dining room with a basket of paper balloons to give to those people in exchange for a donation. I made my own donation and then started to collect.

As I walked from table to table I was quite proud that I was able to get a donation from even the hardest sell customers. After about an hour, I am proud to say, I collected over $100! The girl who gave me the hundredth dollar was so excited that she asked to pose for a picture!

I also met a group of students from Michigan who were in New York working with the Siller Foundation to rebuild homes that were damaged during Super-storm Sandy. One of the girls in the group told me that she had competed in a Miss Michigan local!

Unfortunately, I had to leave after an hour and a half to go to a meeting with The Kiwanis Club to ask for their support for my benefit, but I was happy that I got the chance to my part to help raise money for CMN. Thank you, Jessica, for having me and to IHOP for your support of The Children’s Miracle Network!

St. Patrick's Day Parade

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade down Forest Avenue is a long-standing Staten Island tradition and one that I always look forward to each year. That’s why on March 2nd, even though the weather was cold and foggy with the threat of snow in the air, I was excited to put on a bit-o-green and head out to the parade to meet up with my Princess Natalie and my sister queens Alexa, Miss Staten Island’s OT and Stephanie, Miss Richmond County.

My friend and driver Len Bosso was waiting for me with his new, very blue, Corvette. I love driving with Len because he makes it so much fun. Carmine DeBetta, a Miss Staten Island Board Member, and Jim Smith, Executive Director of the Miss Staten Island Organization, were also there to cheer us on. 

As we walked around meeting people, I was not surprised to see so many other familiar faces including Debi Rose, the Homan clan and even my high school Russian teacher, Mr. Callahan! I stopped by a few of the groups of servicemen to thank them for all that they do and chatted a while with some of the bagpipers. My favorite part was seeing ASPCA dogs up for adoption all dressed in St. Patrick’s Day hats and accessories. They were absolutely adorable!

We all got in our cars and waited to move into the line. The wind started picking up but mercifully, it hadn’t started to snow. I guess in the organized chaos, the parade director forgot about us because we wound up in a different section towards the end of the parade but no matter; we were soon on our way as my parents walked, or should I say “ran” the entire route taking pictures.

I love riding in this parade because all of the spectators are so welcoming. I saw quite a few people in the crowd who remembered me from appearances I had made at their schools which always makes me feel great! At the end of the route, we met up with my parents, my boyfriend and Natalie’s family and made the customary stop at Dunkin Donuts because, as you know, I most definitely run on Dunkin! The staff asked me to take a picture with them, which I happily did. Hey, Dunkin - I'm thinkin' commercial spot on the horizon!

As always, it was another awesome Staten Island parade experience. I feel so fortunate to have participated in so many of them! Thank you to the St. Patrick's Day Parade organizers for continuing to welcome our organization year after year. It means a lot to us!

"Lights, Camera, Fashion!"

The St. George Theater is a Staten Island landmark and for the past 3 years it has been home to the Miss New York pageant. The theater has been undergoing costly renovations and "Lights, Camera, Fashion!" - a fashion show co-chaired by Dr. Gracelyn Santos and Lisa Bova-Hiat is an annual event which helps to keep those renovations funded.

Last month, I was thrilled to be in attendance at this fabulous event where girls ages 5 – 13 strutted down the runway in fabulous fashions from the Staten Island Mall and Country Mouse Boutique. The girls were simply adorable and many were quite eager to hear about how they could join the MAO Star Princess program, which I love to promote.

Music was provided by an old friend, Vinnie Medugno who was also the show’s emcee. Vinnie never ceases to amaze me with his ability to speak at the speed of light! Also on hand as volunteers were: my good friend and pageant sister Cassie Paradise, my hair sponsor Claudia Carucci of Zoe Salon (whose daughter was modeling) and Mr. Jim Smith, Executive Director of The Miss Staten Island Organization (whose great niece was also a model in the show). I even spotted the current Miss Richmond County's Outstanding Teen (Charista Mroczek) & Miss New York City's Outstanding Teen (Dominique Bianco) on the runway!

The most gratifying part of my job as a title holder is meeting people who are fighting for causes that they believe in. As we chatted at our table, I met Allison Bennett, whose niece is currently the youngest person to ever be diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at just 22 months old.  I will now be joining her team at the Great Strides Walk on Staten Island on June 8th.

Before the afternoon was over, raffle basket winners were called and I won a prize from Max's Es-ca. I just love basket raffles!

Congratulations to the show's organizers for hosting a fabulous event. I’m looking forward to once again performing on stage at the St. George Theater as I compete for the state crown on May 24th. Look for Miss New York ticket details soon!