I have been in the Valentine's spirit this whole week as the Veterans Hospitals I visited were lavishly decorated with all sorts of Valentines goodies! On Monday morning I visited the Gainesville VA Hospital and then traveled to visit the VA Hospital in Lake City to celebrate National Hospitalized Veterans week. It was both a privilege and an honor to say thank you to the men, and even some women, who have served our country with such commitment and courage.
Today I visited the VA Hospital in Miami and was accompanied by a group of young soldiers who are currently stationed in South Florida. The most memorable part of this trip was when I met a gentleman named Jack. He was very excited to meet Miss Florida and was full of questions. Before we said goodbye I said thank you for his service and he looked me in the eyes and said "You are the reason we did what we did". Wow...The depth of the heart of service of our Veterans really hit me. I feel so incredibly blessed to live in the country. God bless America!
Last Friday I had the opportunity to meet NFL superstar Tony Dungy! He was signing his brand new book "Uncommon" at a bookstore in Tampa, so my host mom, Barbie, and I made the trip. It was such an honor to meet a man with such integrity and talent who has literally redefined the job of "coaching" a sports team. His profound character and commitment to faith is such an inspiration to me.
The next morning Barbie and I toured a local antique show before I got on the road. We met some very talented artists and I bought a "Florida" pin in the shape of our state. The vendor also gave me the super appropriate license plate in the picture below. I can always count on Barbie for a little bit of culture!
After the show I drove to Orlando and met up with Mary and Rob to attend the Miss University of Central Florida pageant. What a fun night! It was my first time attending a local this year and I was so proud! The production was upbeat and showcased the contestants beautifully. It was so great to see Audra Martin, Miss UCF 2008, in her much-deserved spotlight as she emceed, performed, and passed on her title. Seeing a recap of her year was a perfect example of what this program does for young women. Congratulations to all of the contestants and our new Miss UCF, Dasha Gonzalez!
On Tuesday night I traveled to my hometown of Fort Myers and performed my talent for the "Singles Club" at Lake Fairways retirement community. It was a very special appearance because I performed in conjunction with my little sister's a capella group from Fort Myers High School, which also happens to be my alma mater! What a talented bunch!
The next morning I had an interview on our local WINK TV affiliate. I glad to be back, but couldn't believe it had been six months since I was interviewed as the "new" Miss Florida!
After WINK I headed over to my favorite radio station, WAYFM! They have been closely following my journey as Miss Florida and I was glad to do another interview. It's always great to see Jeff and Steve and have the oportunity to talk about how God working in my life through this experience. Thanks guys!
Well, that's all for now, but stay tuned for more updates from my busy week ahead!
Love,
Sierra
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