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
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