America's Thanksgiving Day Parade

November 23, 2006 -

What an incredible honor to be a part of the 80th Annual America's Thanksgiving Day Parade! This event is more than just a parade, it is a time-honored tradition for families all over Michigan and a celebration of the Detroit spirit. Some of the highlights include . . .

• A new, "old" route! This year, the parade followed a route modeled after the original in 1924 along Woodward Avenue beginning at Mack Ave. and ending in the beautifully restored Campus Martius Park. This new route highlighted so many of Detroit's precious jewels such as Fox Theater and spotlighted the newest additions such as Merchant's Row and Compuware.
• Sunshine! Last year the bitter Michigan cold forced many spectators to watch on their televisions. This year, the sunshine helped to pack the streets!
• Glove warmers :) It may have been sunny outside, but in the shade of my float those glove warmers were a blessing!
• Shoes! My float just happened to be adorned with giant shoes and dancing princesses - my two favorite things :)
• Starbucks Coffee. The Starbucks station just happened to be set up directly across the street from my float's parking spot. Something else to be Thankful for . . .
• Volunteers - putting on such a spectacular event does not happen overnight! Volunteers donate more than 17,000 hours to painting floats, production, and of course marching in the parade! The volunteers are truly at the heart of this Thanksgiving tradition. I spoke to one such woman who has walked as a clown for more than 20 years. Her now grown son was in line at Hockeytown Cafe at 6 A.M. to get a window table to watch the parade!
• The Detroit Police Department. Work so hard on Thanksgiving morning to ensure the security and safety of the thousands of folks who come downtown. They may occasionally give a ride to a lost, cold Miss Michigan - Thank you to Detroit's finest!
• Holiday's on Parade - this year at the Michigan State Fairgrounds. With rides, games, entertainment, Parade floats and of course Santa Claus! Great family fun all weekend long!

Lighting up Northville

November 17, 2006 -

The Northville Lights Parade was one of the highlights of my year so far! This unique parade winds through downtown Northville at dusk - each float lighting the street and the MANY cold faces of the spectators. Riding in one of the coolest parade entries I've ever seen was just one thing that made this event so much fun. Our entry included 4 classic convertible VW bugs (3 decked out as reindeer!) and the junior workshop and senior chours girls from Miss Harriet's Dance Studio (my Alma mater)! Although I was not in a reindeer, my VW bug was adorned with custom lit signs that read "Miss Michigan and the Snowflakes!", and three 'snowflakes' and I kept each other warm on the parade route while singing along to Clay Akin's "Sleigh Ride" as the dancers performed around us!

What really made this event so special for me was that it was a true return home. Having grown up at Miss Harriet's Dance Studio, it was an honor to be welcomed back by the faculty, students and parents. After the parade, we went to Genitti's to warm up and celebrate. There I had the chance to speak to everyone and thank them for having me back. I also had the chance to talk to the students about my journey to become Miss Michigan and about how persistence truly does pay. Looking them in the eye and talking about how I got my start right where they are today and that they could get anywhere from here was one of those moments that make me truly grateful for this job.

Thank you to Miss Denise and Dr. Demary for having me back home at the Northville Lights Parade and rolling out the red carpet.

It's a very small world . . .

November 12, 2006

This photograph was taken Sundayat the WalMart Holiday Kick Off event in Troy. I am pictured here with Detroit Sports Legends Lem Barney and Rick Leach. Other celebrity sightings included Kim Adams, Rick Mahorn, Mitch Ryder and Santa Claus himself!

Ironically, this was the second time that week that Mr. Barney and I ran into each other! He was also on hand at the Dishin' Up Wishes event. No one was more happy than my traveling companion, Laura Hempton. She was so excited to meet him at Ford Field that she forgot to get a picture with him. Fortunately he was happy to pose with us just 3 days later:) I also heard rumors that he was also in America's Thanksgiving Day Parade today, although we didn't run in to one another. Either way Mr. Barney thank you for all that you do for our communities!

Dishin' Up Wishes 2007!

November 8, 2006

Gielle (blue dress) was one of the guests of honor at the first ever Dishin' Up Wishes at Ford Field. The Make-A-Wish Foundation granted her wish to have her own harp earlier this year - and it was truly a gift to all of us to hear her play. Gielle and her family spent a magical night at Ford Field! Thank you for joining us and sharing your incredible story!







I know, I know. . . I've never looked taller! Barry Stokes of the Detroit Lions is a huge supporter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He joined us at Ford Field to pose for pictures, meet the attendees and paint a ceramic piece that will become a gift for a very lucky wish-kid! He is quite the artist when it comes to painting puppy paws . . . I mean Lions claws :)