We cleaned up during lunch and headed to the Capital, our second appearance of the day. We had photo ops on the million dollar staircase and met with many of our District Assembly Members and State Senators. I had the chance to talk with my local politicians: Assemblyman Matthew Titone (61st District), Assemblyman Lou Tobacco (62nd District), Assemblyman Michael Cusick (63rd District), and State Senator Diane Savino (23rd District). I even ran into Assemblywoman Janele Hyer-Spencer (60th District) as she was rushing to the meeting. We were honored by being introducted on the floor of the Assembly. During the introduction, I remember looking around the room at all the smiling faces of the Assembly thinking about how proud they were of us. Having this opportunity to represent them at the Miss New York Pageant is truely remarkable.
Our last appearance for the day was with Girls, Inc, a non-profit organization that empowers girls to pursue their dreams and become leaders of tomorrow. They asked us some great questions about the Miss America Organization and even got to try on our crowns and sashes.
Back to the Community Center for dinner and our first rehearsal with the fabulous Kent. Opening number=complete and looking amazing! Can't wait to work on the rest of the show!
Sorry it took me a while to post about my week at Miss New York. I figured that the best way for me to explain each day in detail was to separate them instead of writing one big blog post. So here goes.... At 7:30AM, I drove up to Albany with my parents with one thing on my mind- the excitement and anticipation of pageant week. I had been preparing for this week for a long time (since I became Miss Richmond County to be exact). I was ready to take on the week in full force while remaining positive and focused. Once I arrived at the Empire Commons, the apartments that the contestants lived in for the week, I unpacked my things, said goodbye to my parents, and headed to orientation/lunch with all the contestants. It was great to see all the girls again as we geared up for an unforgettable week.
Our first appearance in Albany was on the Albany Aqua Ducks Tour, a land and sea tour of the history of New York's capital. My favorite part was when we sailed along the Hudson River. After the tour, we went back to the apartments to get ready for dinner. We headed to Angelo's 677 Prime by trolley where we were greeted by the New York State Board of Directors and the local media. I enjoyed probably the BEST sea bass of my entire life! The food was amazing!
Our day concluded with a meeting with Kenny Mack, the Executive Director, and the rest of the 
Today marked my last appearance before heading to Albany for the Miss New York Pageant. I traveled to Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey to participate in the Walk in the Park event. Celebrating its third year in existence, a Walk in the Park is a unique walk event that takes place at eleven Six Flag Theme Parks. It celebrates the courage of children living with all forms of cancer while honoring the strength of their families. All proceeds from the event benefit Cure Kids Cancer and supports the local Children's Miracle Network hospital. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital will be benefiting from today's event. It is New Jersey's largest free-standing, state-designated, acute care children's hospital. BMSCH consistently ranks in the top one percent of all children's hospitals nationwide. Each Walk in the Park honors a a child who has survived cancer as their Walk Ambassador. Our walk Ambassador was Lilly, an eleven year old girl who was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma- a rare childhood cancer that strikes only 250 children each year involving a tumor on her left femur. She had limb salvage surgery at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, which involved implanting a titanium rod in her leg. She received her chemotherapy at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital. She is now finishing up her treatment and enjoys swimming, school, and being cancer free. Children, like Lilly, prove to be an inspiration to everyone with their positive attitudes and uplifting spirits.
The Staten Island Kids Against Tobacco Campaign launched its fifth annual Film Festival at Richmond University Medical Center. This was my second year assisting with the film festival as one of the celebrity presenters. Also in attendance as celebrity presenters were Kara Jae Kowalski, Miss New York's Outstanding Teen 2009, and Shelley Jain, Miss Staten Island's Outstanding Teen 2010. The night was filled with entertainment by musical performers and a showing of all the films presented at the festival. Paticipants in the festival included students from Staten Island Technical High School, New Dorp High School, Concord High School, Tottenville High School, and Port Richmond High School. After the viewing of all the films, I kicked off the awards presentation, which was similar to the Oscars. I presented the awards for Most Dramatic and Most Imformative. I also had the opportunity to speak about my platform, T.E.A.C.H.
Today was a busy day for me. I began with an appearance at the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. I have participated in the Relay for Life event on Staten Island for six years. I started my involvement with the American Cancer Society when I was a senior in high school as a member of the ACS Teens group. My connection with the organization grew as I became the President and Founder of Colleges Against Cancer, Wagner College Chapter. Our mission was to promote the Relay for Life event through fundraising and education. I went on to become an Ambassador for the American Cancer Society's Celebration on the Hill, in which I traveled to Washington, D.C. to lobby Congress for increased funding of cancer research as well as promote my platform, T.E.A.C.H. (making it a nationally recognized program).
........I had a performance with my theatre company, Kill-Her Entertainment! Usually, the company puts on a musical murder mystery, but this time was different. Kill-Her Entertainment presented the Wacky Luau Wedding Show, a comedy show about an Italian-Irish wedding where anything that can go wrong at a wedding actually does. My character, Shewanna Kahlua, is a Hawaiian dancer brought to the wedding as the entertainment. The company is taking a rest for the summer and will return with a brand new show in the fall. Stay tuned for details.
