Never a Bridesmaid... Always Miss Minnesota

It has been almost a month since I have blogged, and so much has happened!

On Saturday, March 27 I headed to the Mall of America to meet up with Katlyn, the current Miss Minnesota Teen to volunteer for The Great Minnesota Birthday Party for Cheerful Givers. I volunteered for the Cheerful Givers back in October for Make a Difference Day. I was hoping to see some familiar faces. Cheerful Givers is an organization that puts together birthday bags to give to families in need. In October I helped stuff 500 birthday bags! This time around we were collecting donations, to be able to make another 500 birthday bags. The mall was very busy that day with Spring break, Prom season, and Easter right around the corner. Thank you to all who donated.

From the Mall of America, my dad and I headed up to Duluth for the KTCO Bridesmaid Ball Event. This was a fundraiser for Gillette Children’s Hospital hosted by the radio station KTCO up in Duluth. During Miss America week the hosts of this radio station interviewed me about my work for Children’s Miracle Network. While on the air they invited me to this event, and having never been a bridesmaid myself, I wanted to see what everyone was talking about when it comes to bridesmaids dresses. I had to go!

Every woman who attended the event wore a Bridesmaid dress from a wedding they were in, at the end of the night the judges would announce the winners of specific division of the competitions.

The divisions were:

Disney Princess
What was the bride thinking?
Blast from the Past
Most likely to go home with a grooms men

It was quite entertaining seeing all the dresses, and I had a blast judging.


At the event I meet Becky, a Gillette representative, who had a few local kids that have gone to Gillette with her. She introduced to me, Emma, who was 2 years old, came to the ball dressed up as Bell from Beauty and the Beast. She was the clear winner for the Disney Princess award ☺ I also met Michael Rudd and his family. Michael was born with Apert Syndrome, his fingers and toes were fused together. He has been going to Gillette Children’s hospital for treatment. The third Gillette Patient who was in attendance was another Michael. He was 16, and made me laugh the entire night. We talked about American Idol, Math, English, and of course… our iphones. We were sharing our favorite apps with one another, when my dad chimed in. He said his favorite game to play was solitaire. Michael looked at my dad and then said, “Solitaire is an old ladies game…” It was the funniest moment of the night!




April 6, I attended an appreciation luncheon at the Science Museum in downtown Saint Paul for Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club on behalf of Gillette and Children’s Miracle Network. Wal-mart and Sam club and their employees have been have been sponsors for Gillette and Children’s Miracle Network.

As soon as I arrived I saw many familiar faces, Andrea and Becky 1 and Becky 2 from Gillette, Brandon Wittrock and his family and also Jon Galloway, Vice President of Gillette Children’s. I sang, and spoke on my experience at Gillette and then Brandon and I handed out awards!

On Thursday April 8th, I attended a fundraiser for CMN “A Night of Inspiration”. I was so excited to see Tyler, and his family again from National Pancake Day. Tyler and I love to talk Pokemon, and he just got a new gadget that he loved showing me! He even told me how to get one of my own. ☺ At the event I spoke to Brandon Wittrock and his family, and also a new patient named Rachel who was wearing her crown and sash from the Pageant of Hope that she participated in March.

Workshop for Miss Minnesota is only 1 weeks away!

Always
Brooke