Wrapping up September!

It has been nearly impossible for me to keep up with my blogs as the end of my reign as Miss Staten Island approaches since I attend so many different events! I've made sure to continue posting my pictures on my public page, and now (though I usually like to separate my appearances in individual posts) I will try to wrap up my final months for you, beginning with September.

Paint For A Cure

Let's start this wrap up with an event of my own creation, "Paint For A Cure." I created this fundraiser to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) through my Light The Night (LTN) team, "Miss Staten Island's Angels." I participate in LTN every year and was proud to be this year's Co-Chair of the Staten Island Committee. That is why I made it my mission to raise even more than I had in the past.

Many friends and family joined me at Pinot's Palette to "Paint For A Cure." We enjoyed snacks and raffle baskets while receiving step-by-step instruction on how to recreate the masterpiece I had chosen for the group. When it was all over, I was quite impressed by the results! Every guest walked away with their own masterpiece and we raised $1,000 for LLS!

Light The Night

Light The Night, for which I held my "Paint For A Cure" fundraiser, was also in September. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Light The Night Walk funds research to advance therapies and treatments for blood cancers. I had spent months raising money for and planning this beautiful walk along with the Staten Island Walk Committee, so I was quite excited when the night finally arrived.

The number of participants in this walk continues to grow and it is truly breath taking to see all of their balloons light up the night sky. I've been a participant for many years in honor of my friend, Dominic, who passed away from leukemia. This year, I received an extra-special honor when I was asked to recite the poem at the Remembrance Ceremony and share heartfelt words with the group of walkers who were walking in memory of their loved ones.

The walk was an enormous success, with the Staten Island event raising over $212,000. "Miss Staten Island's Angels," contributed $3,055 of that total, and I was named a "Bright Light" for the second year in a row! I am so proud to have been a part of it. Want to help Staten Island reach our $276,000 goal by the end of the year? It's still possible! Feel free to make a donation here!

International Food Tasting

The Staten Island Giving Circle hosted an International Food Tasting toward the end of September to fund their many projects which directly benefit the SI Community. The Giving Circle has consistently supported me during my years as both Miss Greater New York and Miss Staten Island and I couldn't have imagined missing this event!

It was unlike anything I had ever seen; A great celebration of all cultures through music, dance, and food. Well, I was mostly celebrating the food and there was certainly lots of it! I tried meals from across the world and the best part was that it was all created by our SI Giving Circle members!

Though I didn't walk away with a basket raffle win this time, it was still a fun (and delicious) night. I hope they host another fundraiser like this one in the future!

Autism Speaks Walk

September is a beautiful month for walks with the change in weather, which is why I suppose this year's Autism Speaks Walk was moved up from October! Autism Speaks is an organization "dedicated to funding global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a possible cure for autism." I participated in this walk as Miss Greater NY and was happy to return as Miss Staten Island.

I was joined by Miss SI's Outstanding Teen, Alexa Moley. It was bright and early in the morning as we greeted walkers. Everything was blue -- even the fountains in front of The College of Staten Island! The Theater Brats performed to pump up the crowd and a Zumba teacher warmed everyone up before kicking off the walk. It definitely woke us up!

Before I knew it, it was all over and we were off to the next event. Thank you to Maeve at Autism Speaks for having Alexa and I!

Victorian High Tea

After Autism Speaks, I was off to a Victorian High Tea for the Alzheimer's Foundation of Staten Island. Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain's nerve cells, or neurons, resulting in loss of memory, thinking and language skills, and behavioral changes. This foundation provides "optimal care and services to individuals confronting dementia, and to their caregivers and families-through member organizations dedicated to improving quality of life." My grandfather suffered from this disease, which is why I felt it was important to attend the High Tea.

My mom and I walked into Zion Lutheran to find cute little tables set up with a collection of mismatched tea sets and flowers. It felt like I walked right into a dollhouse! At a long table in the middle of the room were finger sandwiches, cheese, crackers, and other lunch time goodies. And I can't forget the dessert items sitting at the back of the room!

My favorite part was meeting the ladies of the Red Hat Society, who had their own table. I made a few friends and even got to wear one of their special hats! What a fun day!



So, there you have it -- my September wrap up! With my time as Miss Staten Island quickly coming to a close (only 5 days to go!!), I promise to finish posting about all of my appearances in the coming week. Thank you all for your support and for following my journey!

Light Staten Island Gold!

As we approach the middle of October, we are fully immersed in pink. Why? For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, of course - everyone knows that. But, did you know that September was Childhood Cancer Awareness Month? I made it my mission to make Staten Island aware.

It all began when the Empire State Building was asked to light gold in honor of all the children bravely battling cancer and those we've lost. They said, "No." That's right. The Empire State Building stated that they "could not grant everyone's request light." It seemed that children were not as important as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or the "iHeart Radio Music Festival," for which they lit up in various colors. Instead of taking "No" for an answer, NYC fought back and worked with other landmarks to shine a bright gold light on pediatric cancer. It was my privilege to start a "Staten Island Go Gold" campaign in addition to speaking at two of the gold-lighting ceremonies.

My first thought was, "If the Empire State Building won't go gold, Staten Island will." I decided to encourage people to light their own houses with gold lights - on their porches, in their windows, on their lawns, etc. After creating a Facebook event, the idea spread like wildfire. On September 1st, my social media pages were flooded with pictures of beautifully lit houses! Staten Island has such an incredibly passionate community, so I wasn't surprised at all!

A few days later, I attended the lighting of the Coney Island Parachute Jump. The Parachute Jump is an iconic structure in Brooklyn. Times Square had also participated earlier in the week, but I unfortunately was unable to attend. So, joined by my friend and Miss NY sister, Christina Moore (Miss Cosmopolitan 2014), I was happy to have made it to this event. We both had the opportunity to speak to the crowd alongside several politicians and pediatric cancer research advocates. To watch the enormous fixture light up gold was truly breathtaking.

To wrap up the month, I visited the Hilton Garden Inn Staten Island for their "Light Staten Island Gold" ceremony. Once again, I spoke to the crowd about my connection to my platform, the need for more funding for research, and the importance of them coming out to show their support. I was also sure to thank Borough President James Oddo and owners of the Hilton, Lois & Richard Nicotra, who played a huge part in bringing awareness to Staten Island. We were joined by children who bravely battled pediatric cancer and watched as they waved their "magic wand" to turn the building gold.

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month has now passed and the Empire State Building never "went gold." This, however, is not a failure on our part, but on theirs. They failed by not recognizing the severity of this issue and the attention it deserves. I would like to thank the NYC icons that did care enough about our children to make a statement this month: Times Square NYC, One World Trade Center, Coney Island Parachute Jump, & Hilton Garden Inn Staten Island. Thank you, as well, to the Staten Island community for joining me in lighting their own houses gold. The fight doesn't end with September. I will continue to take action against pediatric cancer and I hope that you will join me in my efforts.

Princess Bella's Big Top Carnival

As Miss Staten Island, I meet so many truly incredible people. Last June, I met Pina Harvey at the Gianna Nicole's Heart of Hope Gala. Pina, whose oldest daughter Isabella has leukemia, is an amazing woman with an equally amazing family. Isabella decided that she wanted to give back to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to help other kids who are sick. To that end, the Harvey family and friends created "Team Princess Bella's Big Top Carnival for Kids."  I was honored to be invited to support.

When we arrived at Carnival Kids Play Place, we were greeted by all of the Harvey children as soon as we stepped inside…even Michael Harvey, who is usually pretty shy, came to say hello. All of them are so adorable! My mom sold tickets as I greeted the guests, played with the kids and took pictures. Of course, I just had to buy some basket raffle tickets. I have an addiction, I think!

When it came time to call the raffles, I was assisted by Bella, Alyssa, and some of their very capable friends. As luck would have it, the first ticket Bella pulled was mine! I swear I had nothing to do with it! I won a Scentsy candle wax warmer, something I was going to order for myself anyway! My Mom won a basket, as well.

Once the baskets were called, we helped clean up and said our goodbyes, but not before we got our adorable "popcorn cupcake" favors. The carnival raised about $1,300 for LLS. I am humbled by this family and their conviction to help others, especially Bella who has gone through so much herself and still put others before herself. I look forward to having Bella and her family in my life for a very, very long time.

Brooklyn Cyclones' Princess Night

Whoever thinks Princesses and baseball don’t mix has never been to Princess Night at Luna Park, home of the one and only Brooklyn Cyclones! Last month I was invited by my fellow sister queen and dear friend, Christina Moore (Miss Cosmopolitan), to attend this event. We were also joined by Jillian Tapper (Miss Southern Tier) and Dominique Bianco (Miss NYC's Outstanding Teen).  My family and I arrived a bit early and took in the Brooklyn sights until the others arrived.

Before the game we were invited onto the field to take pictures and lead the Princess Parade. There were so many girls dressed in princess outfits, it was beyond adorable! As tradition for visiting special guests, all of us were invited to throw out a ceremonial pitch. Of course, I was first. Let's just say it's a good thing I'm a dancer and not a baseball player. Jillian, Christina and Dominique fared much better, but, hey, at least I tried!

We were then escorted to a table on the upper walkway to meet the fans and sign autographs. We had so much fun and I got to speak to so many young girls about The Miss America Organization; especially the Princess Program. The smell of hot dogs was overwhelming but with the National Sweetheart Pageant on the horizon, I used my will power to stay true to healthy eating.

Unfortunately, the Cyclones lost the game but the night was still a blast since I got to spend time in the community with my sister queens. Thanks so much to Christina for inviting us!

Miracle Treat Day

"Miracle Treat Day" was on August 14th. On this day, each year, Dairy Queen locations across the country donate $1 from every Blizzard purchased to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Of course, I had to make my way to the only DQ on the island in the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. I went straight from work to get my blizzard. This year, I was missing my little sister queen, Alexa Moley, who had gone earlier in the day.

Mission accomplished and blizzard in hand, I had time to pose for a few pictures before I left. Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s Miracle Treat Day! With your generous support, DQ raised an estimated $5 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, which will bring hope and healing to sick and injured children.

There's always an opportunity to donate to the Children's Miracle Network. Just click here!

JCC: Make-A-Wish Donation

Throughout my years as a local titleholder, I have had many fundraising events of my own. However, I had never been asked to accept a check on behalf of an organization, that is until last month when I was invited to attend the JCC Summer Camp to do just that. Through my good friend Kelly Quinn, I was asked to accept a check for the Make-A-Wish Foundation at this event. There were several other charities receiving checks and I was more than honored to be among these amazing young campers who raised over $3,500 for organizations including Make-A-Wish, The American Cancer Society, the ASPCA and JDRF...just to name a few. 

My first feat after arriving at Camp Kaufman was conquering the long walk to the event sight….up a dirt hill in heels, I might add. What was I thinking declining a ride in the golf cart? The event began with the campers (who ranged in age from about 5 to 19) being acknowledged for their phenomenal fundraising efforts which ranged from bake sales to car washes to musical performances. I was in awe of how much these young people had accomplished.

 The campers announced each charity and a representative came up to accept the check and say a few words. I accepted the check for Make-A-Wish and, as I made my way to the podium to speak, was both asked if I was the president and called a princess. A princess president? Now that's a thought! I took the time I had to let the campers know how inspired I was by their selflessness and philanthropic spirit. I was truly humbled by them all.

After all of the checks had been awarded, the campers entertained us with a few songs. They were absolutely adorable and I couldn't help but sing along. When the event was over I was literally bowled over by campers wanting to take "selfies" with me and get my autograph. I felt like a true celebrity! I was able to get a few in before the counselors announced that all campers needed to return to their group activities. Remembering the climb up, I graciously accepted a ride down in the golf cart.

I had such a great afternoon with all of these inspiring campers and their counselors. It is remarkable how many giving, kindhearted young people we have in our Staten Island Community. I know that they will all go on to do truly incredible things because they are already making difference in the lives of others. Bravo JCC Campers…you have all stolen my heart!