Tallahassee...here I come!!

Hello everyone!


This was a monumental week! On Wednesday I made my first trip to our state capital. I flew in on Tuesday and stayed with Martha and Wayne Dewitt. It was great to see them, even for such a short visit. They have a beautiful house and made me feel right at home.

With Martha :)

On Wednesday morning I met up with Bill Fleming, Dr. Ed Moore (President of Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida), Bob Boyd (an attorney), and Bill Abare (President of Flagler College) and we made our way over to the capital building.

With Bill Fleming, VP of Development and Marketing at PBA

First, we visited Representative Rachel Burgin who was responsible for getting me recognized on the House floor. She also volunteers for the Miss Tampa pageant and came to Vegas for Miss America!


She escorted me down to the floor and the other gentlemen went to the Gallery to watch. The session began at 9:30am with an inspirational prayer by one of the Representatives and then the Pledge of Allegiance. Before I knew it Rachel and I were walking to the center of the room for my introduction by Representative Proctor. The house members cheered and made me feel very welcome.


After our visit to the House, I was bombarded by youngsters who were there on a field trip. They were so cute!


We posed for some pictures and then made our way to the Governor’s Club for lunch. Just as we were about to order we received a call that the Senate was moving at “lightning speed” and we had to get back there right away! So we hurried back to the capital and waited for my cue. Before long I was brought into the Senate and introduced by Senator Dave Aronberg, who I had previously met in Palm Beach. I met Senate President Jeff Atwater, who is also from Palm Beach, and then the most exciting part happened…he asked me if I would like to say a few words from his rostrum!! I, of course, jumped at the opportunity and took a few moments to thank the Senate, tell them about my platform and the Miss America Organization, and promote the Florida Resident Access Grant, as I am a recipient and it is currently in jeopardy for private universities. How exhilarating!

In Senate President Atwater's office (notice he's wearing one of my buttons!)


Following our visit to the Senate we spent about an hour taking pictures with Representatives who wished to do so. Then we met briefly with Governor Crist and posed for a picture. Now I have one with him that is not at a Rays game! ;)


Overall, WOW! What an incredible day. It was so neat to see the heartbeat of our state pumping in the peak of its season. From the lobbyists who crowded the hall to the white-washed walls of the original capital building and the chance to address our state’s most influential leaders, that day will live in my memory forever! (Did I mention that the House said there hadn’t been that much excitement on the floor since Tim Tebow’s visit?!) ☺

At the end of the day I took a plane back to Tampa and went straight to "Evening with the Chef's" on Sand Key Beach. It was the annual fundraiser for the Ryan Wells Foundation, which awards scholarships for young people who are in Culinary School. It was so neat! There were chefs from top restaurants, including the head chef from The Magic Kingdom! He explained his dish to me and let me give the shrimp a quick stir!

"Did I mention, I can cook, too?"

Most importantly I helped with the live auction and helped "up" the bids. Overall, the night was a great success and the students who received the scholarships were glowing!

With Mike and Carrie Wells

Last weekend was the Miss Florida Sweeps Pageant in Dade City. Dana Judge picked me up on Saturday from St. Pete and we headed up to Dade City where we met the Board for dinner. It was so nice to see everyone and have some time to catch up! We ate at a fabulous restaurant called Kafe Kokopelli's and let's just say, we left our mark!


The next day started bright and early with interviews and rehearsal. I saw some familiar faces and met all of the new contestants. What a dynamic group of young women! Courtney Sexton, our Miss FLOT, was also there. It was so great to see her! I finally got to watch her dance from MAOT and she was fabulous!

Congratulations to our new winners and welcome to the journey toward Miss Florida 2009!


Now back to the present…I am sitting like a bump-on-a-log as I have caught a cold…I got antibiotics on Tuesday, but wasn’t really able to rest until yesterday…I’m hoping to shake it off before I get back on the road so please keep me in your prayers and promise to use hand-sanitizer!

Love,
Sierra

RAYS, Gators, and more!

Hello!

This week the Tampa Bay RAYS kicked off their first Home game at the Trop! On Monday I attended a Street Party downtown where lots of fans came out to support the team and Mayor Baker got up and played the guitar with the band!


By the end of the afternoon I had accomplished my mission of getting a ticket for that evening's game, courtesy of Dr. Sibley and the RAYS Marketing Department. I was in a suite and had such a great time! They hooked me up with a RAYS hat and t-shirt and let me take a picture with the ALCS replica ring! They crushed the Yankees 15-5...did I mention they win every time I'm there? ;)

With Dr. Sibley before the game

During the game I did some mingling and got to see Governor Crist. He is always so nice!

On Tuesday I traveled up to Gainesville with Lisa B. to visit the UF Christian Campus House. Despite the tornado warnings that morning, we made it on time! That evening I gave the message for their weekly "Meal and Message" and met the incredible students who make up that ministry. I was blessed and encouraged to see such genuine faith in my peers!

With Bob and Celeste Gailey, Directors of UFCCH

On Wednesday night I spoke to a smaller group of just girls for "Girls Night Out". We had a great time of fellowship and sharing what God is doing in our lives. Again, I was super blessed by the inner beauty these girls possess. Overall, it was a wonderful trip!

Lisa B. and I drove home late that night and had some great 'girl talk'! I had to be in Largo on
Thursday morning for the Pinellas County "State of the Family" Conference where I read the Governor's Proclamation declaring April "Child Abuse Prevention Month".


I stayed for the day-long conference and learned a lot! It was truly inspirational. There were 450 adults from all over Pinellas County who were all there with the same goal - improving the lives and futures of our young people by examining the effects that society has on our family unit.

That evening I attended an event for local foster kids at the Pinellas Park Performing Arts Center. I welcomed them and said a few words at the beginning. Then, the Feurtado brothers shared their awe-inspiring story. They are former drug king-pins who have turned their lives around and are now using their story to inspire kids and keep them off the streets, out of prison, and in school. I was honored to be able to work by their side. They have an amazing ministry!

With the Todd and Lance Feurtado...they're not as scary as they look! ;)

This morning I rode in the Festival of States Day Parade and then went to Planet Beach for some Florida "sunshine". Stay tuned for more updates!!

God bless,
Sierra

Happy Easter!

Here is an inspirational prayer I would like to share with you:

"Holy Jesus, I hear God's mighty "Yes!" in your Resurrection.
You invite me to live also, and I want to say "Yes!" to You.
Take me out of the tomb that imprisons me,
lead me into the morning of new life,
and walk with me wherever your love may lead.
Amen."

Amen!

May you be blessed this Easter holiday as you reflect on our RISEN Lord and celebrate the power we have in His name!"

The Grand Prix!

Gentlemen...start your engines!!

This past weekend was the Honda Grand Prix in St. Petersburg. Mary has talked about this much-anticipated event all year and now I can understand why! The City turned downtown into an IndyCar race track and the biggest names in racing came to town for some fun in the sun!


The festivities kicked off with the Illuminated Night Parade on Thursday Night. I was thrilled as I approached my ride for the evening...a Cinderella-style horsedrawn carriage!! I squealed with excitement and jumped out of the car to greet my driver and a beautiful horse named Duke.



Also in the parade was Miss St. Petersburg, Katie Crews! It was so great to see her and we had a lot of fun at the party at the Pier after the parade where we saw two of our favorite little princesses!


On Saturday I attended the Le Mans race and got a picture with two of the top finishers. I had a great time mingling with the public and getting accustomed to the event!


That afternoon I also got to ride in the ferris wheel with Mayor Baker and his lovely wife. It was a gorgeous day and we had a fabulous view of the track and the bay from our cart in the sky!


Sunday was the big day! The grounds swarmed with people from all over the world, anxious to cheer on their favorite driver. Katie and I got to ride in the Parade Lap around the track before the race started! I tried to get them to give me the car since it had my name on it, but it didn't work out... :)


Before the race started I was invited to welcome some of the visiting Veterans with Will Power, one of the drivers from Australia. It was such an honor!


Unfortunately I didn't get a picture with the winners of Sunday's race because they were swarmed with fans! However, I did get a pic with Marco Andretti (part of the great Andretti racing family) who I had a chance to hang out with later that night! :)


Overall, this was definitely one of my favorite appearances. I was exposed to a whole new "culture" as I learned a lot about racing and really enjoyed watching the drivers in action!

Special thanks to our Police escort, Bill Doniel, and all of the employees (Robert and Beth...) of the City who made it such a wonderful appearance.

Until next time...

Sierra

Fundraisers, Schools, and Sungoddesses!

Hello!

I am finally reunited with my computer and can fill you in on my recent appearances! On March 23rd I traveled to West Palm Beach to attend a fundraiser for St. David's Episcopal Church. It was held at Binks Forest Country Club and was a well-attended event. I had a great time mingling with the guests and even had a few dances after dinner! For the evening I modeled the fabulous Badgley Mischka necklace pictured below that was a part of the live auction. Overall, the fundraiser was a great success!

With my contact and host Father Thomas


The next day I did a "Right Decisions, Right Now" presentation at Palm Springs Middle School. I had a great time with the students and was interviewed for their school news.

One of my Sunshine Princesses and her mom came to hear the presentation and it was so great to see them!

With Madison and Dawn


That evening I went to Miami for the Miss University of Miami/Miss Miami Hurricane Pageant. It was great to see Miss UM '08, Emily Cook, and to meet all of the contestants. Emily and I co-emceed and I performed my dance to kick-off the Talent competition. Congratulations to Miss Miami Hurricane '09, Jamie Williams, and Miss UM '09, Jaife Calil!


The next day I traveled back to West Palm to visit "Girl Talk" at Conniston Middle School. I implemented this chapter when I first stared at PBA and it was so neat to be back there! Some of the younger girls I had mentored were still there and we had such a great time together. I spoke to the girls about how to see "singleness" as a gift and encouraged them to see beyond the constant need to have boyfriend.


On my way back to St. Pete I stopped and had dinner with Rob at P.F. Chang's in Tampa. We had a great time catching up!


On Thurday, the 26th, and Friday, the 27th, I participated in events with the 2009 Sungoddess Court. It was so much fun to get to know the girls and Taylor Traviesa, the 2008 Sungoddess. Friday night was the Festival of States/Sungoddess Coronation Ball at the Coliseum in St. Pete. I introduced the contestants as the were escorted to the stage. They all had very impressive Bios!


Congratulations to the 1st Runner-up and our new Sungoddess!


On Saturday morning I drove to Nordstrom's in Naples for an autograph signing.

I was greeted with a warm welcome by the employees and had a great time meeting lots of customers.


The cosmetics department gave me a very generous goodie bag with some of my favorite products as compensation for the appearance!


From Naples I drove to North Fort Myers for a fundraiser for the Lee County Horseman's Association Relief Fund where I sang "God Bless America", performed my talent, and modeled Western-wear with some local models.




I also helped with the live auction at the end of the event, which made for a very busy appearance! My parents and some friends from church came and the whole event was a great success!

Stay tuned for pictures from the Honda Grand Prix this past weekend!

Love,
Sierra