Miss Florida USA Faces

Team Volusia County USA and friends were proud volunteers at the 3rd Annual Shining STARS pageant which took place at the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center last Saturday. The Shining STARS pageant is a fashion show that is hosted by the City of Ormond Beach Special Populations Department and benefits the mentally and physically disabled children and adults of Volusia County.

Volunteering at the pageant were: 2007 Miss Daytona Beach Teen USA Riley Seegert; 2008 Miss Daytona Beach USA Kendra Waller; 2008 Miss Ormond Beach USA Erin McKinnon; 2008 Miss Port Orange USA Erin Winters; 2008 Miss Volusia County USA Jessica Rafalowski; 2007 Miss Daytona Beach USA Ashley Panaggio; and 2007 Miss City Beautiful USA Miranda Weber. After weeks of planning it was time for the show and the girls and contestants were anxious to get started!!

The pageant started with all of the contestants on stage for the opening number to Paul Oakenfold's Starry-Eyed Surprise, the contestants laughed and danced and had an amazing time!! After the opening, it was time for the competition. Delegates were separated into three age groups and individually escorted onstage for their presentation.

After each contestant competed in evening attire, it was time for the crowning. The best part of this pageant...EVERYONE was a winner!! Each contestant received a crowning moment and gift bag at the end of the show. A very special thank you to Stephanie Rivelli, Stefan Sibley and the City of Ormond Beach for inviting us to be a part of this amazing event!!

It was a beautiful Melbourne afternoon as The Road to Hollywood made its third annual stop to The Space Coast. Thirty-two contestants hit the stage as many of our Miss Florida USA Family were in attendance. The afternoon was hosted by Miss Space Coast USA 2007 Jennifer Scott with assistance from Team Tallahassee USA members Jami Lynn Daniels, Miss Tallahassee USA 2008 along with Miss Capital Cities Teen USA 2008 Brittany Pate. They were assisted by Team Citrus USA who was represented by Miss Kissimmee Teen USA 2008 Krystal Gillen; and Miss Orange County Teen USA 2008 Megan Polley, nice job ladies!

Miss Pate; Ms. Scott; Miss Gillen and Miss Polley rehearse for the afternoon!

It was great to see Brevard County resident Tashia Pelham (Miss Jacksonville USA 2008) in attendance with her mother Angela. Ms. Pelham was the first Miss Space Coast USA in a pageant that also featured future Miss Florida America Allison Krieger. So much fun to see everyone and kudos to Citrus Productions for another fun afternoon of pageantry! The Road to Hollywood stops this weekend in Coral Springs, see everyone on Sunday.

» KUDOS & DID YOU KNOWS:

- Kudos to Hollywood Pageant Director Jules Meyer for coordinating The Pembroke Pines Relay For Life event to benefit The American Cancer Society. Team Hollywood USA 2007 and 2008 were in attendance as Yazmin Navarro (Miss Hollywood USA 2008), Adriana Pedrique (Miss Hollywood Teen USA 2008); Rachel Rose (Miss Hollywood USA 2007) and Krizia Toledo (Miss Hollywood Teen USA 2007) participated in the 24-hour event. Way to do a good deed for those in need ladies!

- Kudos to Team Halavin with a little assistance from Team Sunset Place for participation in last Saturday’s "A Sip of Wine... A Taste of Heaven" soiree for The Margate/Pembroke Pines Chamber of Commerce. In attendance were Miss Sunset Place USA 2008 Kimberly Anderson; Miss Southeast Florida USA 2008 Christian Ericksen; Miss Oakland Park USA 2008 Angela Overton; Miss Southeast Florida Teen USA 2008 Rossana Pujol; Miss South Miami USA 2008 Kelly Saks; Miss Broward County USA 2008 Lindsay Shockey (also Miss Pembroke Pines 2007!); and Miss Oakland Park Teen USA 2008 Shayra Medal; The evening included a Silent and Live Auction, a delicious array of food sampling from local restaurants, wine tasting and networking with the local business community. Way to make those business contact ladies!

- Did you know our Broward USA family will be reading to the children of The Kidgets Program at Coral Square Mall in West Broward County this Saturday March 10^th from 1:00pm – 3:00pm. Titleholders scheduled to attend include: Chelsea Korka (Miss West Broward USA 2007) and Adriana Pedrique (Miss West Broward Teen USA 2007/Miss Hollywood Teen USA 2008) are joined by Rossana Pujol, Miss South East FL Teen USA 2008; Shayra Medal, Miss Oakland Park Teen USA 2008; Angela Overton, Miss Oakland Park USA 2008; Constancia Villomar, Miss Broward County Teen USA 2008 for a great afternoon of reading and fun! If your in the neighborhood drop by and get a picture with our delegates. The address is 9469 W. Atlantic Blvd. in Coral Springs.

» 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!

Our Picture of The Week gives props to our favorite doctor….Dr. Seuss! This cool Cat in a hat is Miss Universe 2006 Zuleyka Rivera (L) as she applauds with tennis star Serena Williams while marking the 50th anniversary of Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel's "Cat in the Hat" book at the New York Public Library. No Green Eggs and Ham or Sam I Am, just one fun Picture of The Week!