Miss Florida USA Faces

February 10, 2007 (Hawthorne Hills Mobile Home Park – Deland) One week ago, tornadoes forged a deadly path across Central Florida, destroying homes and claiming lives. A lot of progress has been made in the week since the deadly tornadoes. It's been a long week that first started with massive destruction followed by a massive cleanup effort.

The community came together this weekend to help with the cleanup. Our reigning Miss Deland USA Krystal Mulock and our former Miss Daytona Beach USA (and current Miss Jacksonville) Ashley Panaggio were among those assisting with the cleanup effort, sorting through debris looking for any sign of valuables or mementos.

After a day of cleanup, Krystal and Ashley were visibly emotionally and physically affected; there was fiberglass in the debris that started affecting the volunteer’s vision (irritating their eyes). Before they left, the girls decided to take one picture with their crowns on amid the debris, to always remind them how lucky they are. Deland is their home and they were sleeping just a few miles away when the storm hit.

"Today we were at the Hawthorne trailer park in Deland, and it is what we are calling ground zero. These people have absolutely no homes left. Most of them are moving or relocating because there is nothing left. All their personal belongings are strewn all over the place. It is really sad. I really don’t know how to explain it at all. It is unreal!"

If you would like to assist in the tornado relief in Volusia County, please contact the American Red Cross: Call (866) 438-4636 for relief assistance or to request disaster assistance. Monetary donations may be sent to Florida's Coast to Coast Chapter, 341 White St., Daytona Beach. www.flcoasttocoastredcross.org.

It was the perfect South Florida afternoon that greeted our Miss Sunset Place USA and Teen USA contestants. 80 degrees and sunny as all eyes were on the prize in South Miami! This is a free admission event that really brings out a pageant audience. It was great seeing so many members of our South Florida USA Family.

The day started with an early afternoon check-in amongst the palms of The Shops as Sunset Place Amphitheater. Rehearsals were the order of business as pageant volunteers Angie and Mandi Halavin assisted in the dressing rooms courtesy of pageant sponsors The Make Up Store. After a quick paced rehearsal it was off to The Martini Bar for a catered dinner exclusively for the delegates and our reigning titleholder entourage of Miss Sunset Place USA 2007 Yazmin Navarro, Miss Sunset Place Teen USA Marsha Nangkall, Miss South Florida USA 2007 Ashley Washington and special guest Miss Florida Teen USA 2007 Annilie Hastey. A big thank you goes out to our friends at Simon Mall’s who made us fell so at home and pageant volunteer Luis who handled the stairs assist during the competition. Here are some picture from throughout the day and evening, enjoy!

Dinner alfresco was a great way for the delegates to get to know each other.

Table side left to right; Michelle Barnette, Miss Medley, Miss Brumer and Miss Jones

Several South Florida USA titleholders were interviewed during the evening’s pageant

Our South Florida USA titleholders in attendance with Miss Florida USA Jenna Edwards

» Miss Florida Teen USA Speaks to Elementary School Students

As a part of her anti-bullying platform, our Miss Florida Teen USA Annilie Hastey has been very active lately. This past week she took to the schools to spread her message. She read to kindergarten classes last Monday in South Miami Dade. Then she talked to a 3rd grade class Monday about tolerance and hate. She gave out pamphlets donated to her by a high school English teacher, "101 Tools for Tolerance". This is something that unfortunately most children can relate to in their childhood experience. Way to reach out and improve the lives of others Annilie!

» Pageantry in Pictures

Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera arrives for the 49th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2007, in Los Angeles.

» PICTURES & STORIES WANTED!

If you enjoy reading the stories of our Miss Florida USA Family and want us to know what great things are happening either during or after you reign please email us at telair@aol.com. We love touting our sorority of outstanding Florida women. Please send us a paragraph (or two) on your appearances, awards or community service and include pictures. We want you to have all of the support of this great lifestyle we call Miss Florida USA!

» 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!

We at the Picture of The Week Committee believe in the power of the crown. The ability to do good things and bring public interest towards a cause that needs addressing. When our Miss Deland USA delegate went out and got involved with her community after several tragic tornados that devastated communities. So it was a natural that this pictures with her roommate Ashley Panaggio makes our Picture of The Week. Great job Krystal!