Miss Florida USA Faces

This year’s 6^th edition of Miss Tallahassee USA had a special twist as the broadcast cameras were out as the show will be televised on FOX – 49 in our Capital City. So it felt like a mini-state pageant as we spent Friday afternoon video-taping in and around The Florida Museum of History. What a great tour we had as we went back 20,000 years in our state.

Ms. Wustig during her television introductions (left) & Ms. Washington, Ms. Benitez and Ms. Scott at registration (right)

Kelly and Jami Lynn rock the microphone! (left) Ms. Benitez looks for her prince as Miss Woods looks on (right)

The delegates had a blast on the tour and also enjoyed the chance to make new pageant friends! Then it was time to get ready for the big pageant. A special kudos goes to our Team Tallahassee USA 2008 of Jami Lynn Daniels, Kelly Haffner and Briteny Pate who were our hostesses for the pageant and broadcast.

Miss Pate provided the color commentary (left) Ms Daniels was an awesome hostess (center) &

Ask Channel 7 sports reporter/anchor Julie Donaldson how she likes working in Boston and the newcomer gives an honest answer: "I don't know yet." That's because Donaldson began her new job in her native Florida, covering the Red Sox at spring training in Fort Myers, so she hasn't even moved into her new digs. However, hitting the ground running is nothing new for her. She actually prefers it that way.

"When pitchers and catchers reported, that was Day 1 for me," said Donaldson, a 2000 graduate of the University of Florida. "Your first day on any job, you have an unsettling feeling because you don't know what to expect. You don't know the photographers, you don't know the other reporters, you're trying to get familiar with the team. It could easily be overwhelming, but I have to say pretty much everyone I've come across has been very welcoming. That's very encouraging because New York is not so welcoming at times."

Donaldson came to WHDH from SportsNet New York, where she was a sports reporter and anchor. Prior to that, she hosted "Heat TV," which chronicled the NBA's Miami Heat. She has also worked for Fox Sports Net Florida and PBS. She hasn't spent any time in Boston yet, but she said she appreciates the passion that emanates from the city's sports fans.

"You don't get any better than Boston right now," she said. "From everyone you talk to, they're happy the Celtics are doing well, but they were fans of the team when they were doing badly. If you want to cover sports, this is definitely the [place] to be. It's hard to turn it down when you're looking at football, baseball, and basketball and everything that there is. Why not?"

If you look up any biography of Donaldson, it prominently features her being crowned Miss Florida USA in 2001. She said the pageant victory is a double-edged sword. "Of course, everyone likes to make comments on that," she said. "It's an easy label. I'm never embarrassed by anything that I've done. I wouldn't ever change it or take it back because it was a valuable experience for me. It really helped launch and get me into this business. So I don't, by any means, take it for granted. I will say it was back in 2001. It's just something that I did. To me, it's just something on my résumé. I've grown a lot beyond that. Since that, there is a huge list of things I've accomplished. I think that defines who I am today, not that I wore a crown and knew how to wave. It definitely helps."

Despite having worked in New York for a couple of years, she said living in Boston is going to be different - and not just because of the unpredictable New England weather.

"I can't say I've ever been in 8 inches of snow," she said. "In all honesty, this is going to be a new experience and a new challenge for me. I like a good challenge."

On Wednesday, Yokota’s fire department got a whole lot hotter when beauty queens Rachel Smith, Miss USA, and Hilary Cruz, Miss Teen USA, stopped by for a tour of the station.

The two were visiting Yokota as part of a USO-sponsored tour of bases in Japan and on Okinawa. The women had the chance to tour the station, try on firefighting gear and climb aboard one of the fire trucks for a trip out onto the flight line.

“It’s a great morale booster for them to come visit us, especially to come out to our station,” said Airman 1st Class Trevor Nadile, who said this is the second time he has had the chance to see Miss USA, the first being while he was deployed to the Middle East last year.

Smith, whose father is retired from the Army, said that being raised in the military community she feels it is important to give back to those who serve.

“This has been my life,” she said, adding that touring seven countries in December as part of the USO’s Chairman’s Holiday Tour was one of the most rewarding experiences during her year as Miss USA.

Cruz said she has no real experience with the military but that this trip has been a great way to get a more personalized understanding of military life.

“The Japanese vending machines are really cool,” she said. She said working with the current Miss Universe, Riyo Mori, who is from Japan, has allowed her to gain a little insight into Japanese culture.

After their visit to the fire station, the beauty queens headed to the Samurai Cafe, the base dining facility, for lunch and a chance to meet with more service members.

“Wow, I definitely did not expect this today,” said Airman 1st Class Geoff Smith, from the 36th Airlift Squadron, who ended up talking to the women for several minutes.

“I was a little bit nervous; it was kind of like talking to my commander,” he said. “But it was really cool. There should be visits like this more often, maybe on a weekly basis.”

After leaving Yokota, the two were to visit Naval Air Facility Atsugi on Thursday before heading to Okinawa for visits to several bases.

Miss Teen USA Hilary Cruz, left, and Miss USA Rachel Smith sign an autograph for Airman 1st Class Trevor Nadile. The women visited Yokota as the first part of their USO-sponsored tour of bases in Japan and Okinawa.

Tech. Sgt. Matthew K. Perreira helps Smith and Cruz put on firefighting gear.

We are pleased to invite all friends and family to our dual “Going Away to Miss USA” and “Happy Birthday” Party for our reigning Miss Florida USA 2008 Jessica Rafalowski as she prepares to represent us in Las Vegas! Come by and wish her well and join in a fun day of pageantry and fellowship.

This event is open to directors, titleholders, family, friends, sponsors and those interested in competing this preliminary pageant season. This is a BYOT event (bring you own tiara!) as crowns and banners are welcomed.

See everyone on Saturday March 15^th at our fabulous send off party! Catering by Try My Thai of Hollywood ® with photo opportunities and autographs by our very own Miss Florida USA!

Going online Saturday night will be the best of shots from this weekends Miss Tampa USA Pageant to be held in Hillsborough County. We have found a great host for all of our pictures before they are formally posted here on our home page starting on Monday. Visit http://virb.com/missfloridausa! Always trying to stay ahead of the communications curve here at Miss Florida USA.

In our ongoing attempt to be everywhere on the internet we now have an active Face Book Site. We love the interaction and ability to contact our friends and keep them up to date with the latest in pageant news and pictures. Surf to www.FaceBook.com/MissFloridaUSA and say hello!

» 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!

» South Miami Black History Month Parade


As a bonus feature for our Friday Faces & Places we go to The South Miami Black History Month Parade as we pay tribute to

those who have advanced the causes of the community. Enjoy the parade and festivities as it was a wonderful

morning and event.

PICTURE OF THE WEEK!

This weeks POTW entry knocked our socks off! Check out our bantamweight Miss Florida Teen USA Jillian Wunderlich as she lands a roundhouse to the chin of former world boxing champion George Foreman. Of course Miss Wunderlich has always been a knockout in our eyes! Congratulations to our new world champions and recipient of our Picture of The Week Award.