Miss Florida USA Faces

It was a special night in Hollywood as the Miss Florida USA family came together to assist the Broward Outreach Center in this years “Too Hot For Fashion”. The evening was all about raising funds to build a playground for the most vulnerable of all of our Broward residents, the homeless children and women in our community.

Thank you goes to Heidi Bullock (Lakeland): Angel Coleman (Oakland Park USA); Nicole Graham (Heartland USA); Carissa Grazel (Orange County); Chelsea Korka (West Broward USA); Summer Leigh (Central Florida USA); Jennifer Olkininsky (Broward USA); Cristie Anne Quesada (Coral Gables USA); Rachel Rose (Hollywood USA) and Krizia Toledo (Hollywood Teen USA) for donating their modeling talents to this worth cause.

Team West Broward USA after the fashion show (left) & Ms. Graham and Ms. Grazel

It was also wonderful seeing members of our Miss Florida USA family in attendance rooting on our models. The grand total raised by door admissions, silent auction and onstage clothes auction raised $34,000.00 as of last night and will fully fund an amazing playground at the new Broward Outreach Center for Women and Children in Hollywood. Great job to everyone involved!

Pageant preparation is hard work

BY KAZUAKI NAGATA CORRESPONDENT

It takes months of preparation for pageant contestants to appear composed when they're on stage during competition. Seven regional pageant winners gathered in Sarasota last Saturday for a day of training, coordinated by Marianne Oden, a local director and image consultant.

They spent the morning on exercise and the afternoon on interview skills. The machine-free workout program was created by J.D. Doyle, the president of Ultimate-U Fitness. Doyle, a Sarasota-based fitness trainer, instructed the competitors for about an hour and half at Gold's Gym on Bee Ridge Road.

Miss Fort Myers USA, Genevieve Jahn, 26, said Doyle's machine-free workout was good for her, since as a full-time pricing analyst, she sometimes does not have time and energy to go to a gym after work. She said she can do this workout at home.

Back row, from left: Miss West Coast USA Jami Daniels, Miss Palm Beach County LauRen Merola, President of Ultimate-U Fitness J.D. Doyle, Miss Manatee County USA Krystal Mulock and Miss Sarasota USA Johanna Torres. Front row, from left: Miss West Coast Teen USA Karissa Brogan, Miss Fort Myers USA Genevieve Jahn and Miss Sarasota Teen USA Tess Wilenski.

Appearance isn't the only factor when it comes to winning, said Oden, who has won the Mrs. Florida United States title. Miss Palm Beach County LauRen Merola, 22, who will be competing for Miss Florida American in July, has to have a platform for that contest. She chose cancer prevention as her platform and has been making public appearances and giving speeches to raise the awareness of cancer prevention. Moreover, during the contest, contestants will be asked questions in relation to international news and politics, so they have to be on top of current events, Oden said.

"It's months of preparation," Merola said. Although they have to go through intensive training, many see the pageant as both career and educational opportunity. "It just opens up so many doors," said Miss Sarasota USA Johanna Torres, 22.

Miss Sarasota Teen USA Tess Wilensky, 17, said she has learned so much from the experience in competing for the pageant. "It gets me prepared for the real world," she said. Wilensky, who will be a senior at The Bolles School in Jacksonville and will finish her AA degree next year, said she wants to win the upcoming Miss Florida Teen USA to get $40,000 scholarship to go to college and eventually study law.

For Stetson University senior Krystal Mulock, 22, winning Miss Manatee County USA was satisfying, since she grew up and spent 17 years of her life there. "Manatee County is something close to my heart," Mulock said. She has also gained much confidence from the experience. "The only person that I'm competing with is myself."

- Kudos to Miss West Coast USA 2007 Jami Daniels as she served as host of this years inaugural Firecracker Pageant held in Blountstown. The event raised over $2,000.00 for the collective called “Queens with A Cause”. With the end result benefiting a member Ms. Daniels North Florida community suffering with cancer. Way to really help at the grass roots level Jami!

- Kudos to our own Miss Florida USA 2006 Melissa Witek and the member of Team USA on NBC’s Treasure Hunters Series. Ms. Witek sent us two special pictures...one of Team Miss USA and one of her and team member Kristen Johnson watching the premier of Treasure Hunters in their hotel room. The next show is on July 3 (it will be the 3rd episode). For all the latest up to the minute info or to contact any of the team members surf to www.TeamMissUSA.com? Melissa says “Thank you!” to all of her pageant friends and we say way to represent!

2006 Miss Marianas Universe Shequita DLG. Bennett shows off the commemorative resolution she got from the CNMI House of Representatives during the Governor's Office weekly press conference as they wished her good luck in Los Angeles with an official proclamation.

» Pageant News Wanted!

Are you a titleholder or at large delegate who is making appearances or doing good things in the community? We would love to tell all of the Miss Florida USA Family your story. Send pictures and updates to telair@aol.com as we feature everything Miss Florida USA on Friday’s at Faces & Places.

» Alumni News Wanted!

If you know of any Miss Florida USA alumni in the news please drop us an email to feature them in future articles. Email all info to info@missfloridausa.com! Until next week here to good pageantry!

PICTURE OF THE WEEK!

This week’s outstanding picture goes back to a biased favorite as our panel loves any shot with our Miss Florida USA Cristin Duren in it. Once again she takes an amazing shot as she models this years Carroll’s Jeweler’s prize at The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa. It’s easy to see why Ms. Duren is a two-time photogenic award winner at nationals and now it’s twice as the picture of the week recipient. What a year!