December 21, 2009
Christmas gift suggestions: To an enemy, forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to the less fortunate, kindness; to all, charity; to every child, a good example; to yourself, respect.

As we come to the end of 2009 there is much that we can be grateful for and it is with a sense of hope that we look forward to 2010 and the 75th Anniversary of the Miss Florida Pageant. We are appreciative to the incredible group of volunteers that we have in our State. For all that you give to this organization, we can never say “Thank-you” enough! The Miss Florida Pageant would not be possible without its many sponsors and patrons. We are especially thankful to Edward Walson, the City of St. Petersburg, the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Convention and Visitors Bureau, Regalia, and Ann Marie’s for their continued support. Not only at Christmas, but all year long, we pay homage to the individuals and businesses that generously give to our program. We are blessed to have two outstanding young women that represent our program as Miss Florida and Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen.

Miss Florida Rachael Todd is a trail blazer. She is making upward of six appearances a week with no suggestion of slowing down, except to attend the Miss America Pageant. She has partnered with Homeless Coalitions both on the State and National level and continues her endeavor to end homelessness and hunger. She is an advocate for the preservation of Florida’s Everglades and has aligned herself with the Everglades Foundation to unite and strengthen the voices for Everglades restoration. She works tirelessly on her Miss America preparation even practicing her dance and working out recently on one of Florida’s Golf Courses. She takes an opportunity to prepare whenever possible. Relaxing to Rachael is a two hour work out!

If you are unable to attend the 2010 Miss America Pageant, please tune in to TLC on Saturday January 30, 2010 to watch as the new Miss America is crowned! It might be someone you know…..

Myrrhanda Jones, Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen, was crowned in July and five weeks later, competed at the National pageant of Miss America’s Outstanding Teen and was second runner up and a preliminary evening wear winner. She has kept a busy appearance schedule raising money for Children’s Miracle Network and visiting with the children at Shands Hospital, taking part in parades in Gainesville and St. Petersburg, attending events with Miss Florida, participating in television and radio shows, and the list goes on. She really doesn’t want to miss a thing and something tells me that has a lot more to accomplish! Myrrhanda will be traveling to Las Vegas to cheer for Rachael as she competes for Miss America.

Pageant Season will be in full swing in January with nine local pageants. Please check our website to find the dates, times, and locations of the upcoming pageants and support as many as possible. The Season will close in April with the Sweeps Pageant. Save the date for April 24-25, 2010 for our Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen Pageant, lst Annual Miss Florida Golf Tournament, and the 2nd Annual Sweeps Pageant, all to be held in Dade City. The Orientation for Miss Florida will be May 22-23, 2010 in St. Petersburg at the Hilton Carillon Park.

May the Christmas Season fill your home with joy, your heart with love, and your life with laughter. Best wishes for a Happy Holiday and a magnificent New Year! Be safe, healthy and happy until we meet again!

Warmest wishes,
Mary Sullivan, Executive Director

October 19, 2009
Dear Pageant Family:

The past several weeks have flown by and it is hard to believe that we are moving toward the holiday season. Can Miss America really be in just three months!

Today, October 16, 2009, is the first preliminary for the Miss Florida 2010 Pageant Season. Three Miss Titles are being awarded and we look forward to welcoming our newly crowned titleholders to the Miss Florida family! The Miss Florida Board met with our franchise holders in St. Petersburg on October 11, 2009. It was a highly productive meeting and we are duly thrilled about the 75th Anniversary Miss Florida Pageant!

We announced some exciting plans for 2010! We have moved the Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen Pageant to Dade City, Florida during the weekend of April 22-24, 2010. The first ANNUAL Miss Florida Pageant Golf Challenge will be held on April 24, 2010 at the Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club, in Dade City. The Miss Florida Sweeps Pageant will be held on April 25, 2010. Both the Teen Pageant and the Sweeps Pageant will be held in the Dan Cannon Auditorium at the Pasco County Fairgrounds. It will be a weekend with something for all of our pageant family! We are grateful to the Pasco County Fair Association and the city of Dade City for offering to host us for our 2010 events! Information will be reported on our website as it becomes available.

It was announced that the Miss Florida Pageant will return to three nights of preliminary competition in July 2010 which seemed to be a popular move with our local executive directors!

Miss Florida Rachael Todd and Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen Myrrhanda Jones addressed our local directors and volunteers to bring everyone up to date on their recent travels and appearances. These are truly outstanding young women and excellent role models for our state. I hope that each of you will be able to get to know them better!

Rachael and I recently visited New York City to work on her talent, and select her evening wear for competition at Miss America. In between learning her talent routine from Shea Sullivan, and gown shopping with Carry O’Neal and Stephen Yearick, Rachael found time to meet with the Commissioner of Homelessness of New York City, Robert V. Hess. There was barely time to sleep but we were able to fit everything in! To view Rachael’s schedule, please visit her website at www.rachaeltodd.com. I warn you, rest before you visit! A special thank you to Kim Kreiger, Carry O’Neal, Shea Sullivan, & Ciara Marie O’Sullivan for making our trip so special!

The cut-off date for badges, tickets and rooms is approaching for the 2010 Miss America Pageant. We hope that our Florida delegation will be strong and supportive for Miss Florida 2009! Please make certain that you adhere to all deadlines so that you don’t miss out on anything pertaining to this year’s pageant events!

As you cheer on your favorite football team to victory, remember to support your local pageant events. We have the special young women of Florida that are counting on us!

With warmest wishes,
Mary E. Sullivan
Executive Director

August 22, 2009
Dear Miss Florida Family & Friends:

I can’t believe that it has been six weeks since we crowned Miss Florida 2009 Rachael Todd and Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen 2009 Myrrhanda Jones. I read once that the bad new is that time flies….the good news is that you are the pilot. The past month has been a journey and it has flown by! I wish we could have slowed down to really enjoy it more!

The 2009 Miss Florida Pageant was amazing and I am grateful to so many that made it a success. I always start with the Board of Directors for they are the true spirit behind this organization. A tireless dedicated group of individuals that know no limits or when to stop! Special thanks to Richard Walker, Rob Loy, Keith Williams and Dana Dalton Judge for staying on this journey with me. Each year just gets better and better! I am truly grateful to Shannon Rees, Patty Adeeb, Norma Storms, Patti Bolding, Lynne Dalton, Mary Dymtrow and Ray McLeod for their commitment to the 2009 Miss Florida Pageant event. Their enthusiasm and devotion is unsurpassed. We had an incredible group of individuals on our Pageant Committee that joined us in St. Petersburg during the Miss Florida Pageant and we applaud their efforts. Thanks to our in state and out of state friends that came in to work or emcee the 2009 Pageant. Our producer Wayne Gentry, Choreographer Shea Sullivan, and their “cast” pulled it off for Live Television and I am in awe of the enormous talents they each possess.

We were so blessed to have the MAO Chairman of the Board of Directors, Sam Haskell, III and MAO Board member Ronald Burkhardt present for our State Pageant in St. Petersburg. We thank our distinguished panel of judges for giving of their personal time to travel to Florida and judge the Miss & Teen Pageants.

I convey our personal thanks to Edward Walson for bringing television back to Florida. When we first discussed the possibility in March, I admit that there were many sleepless nights and moments of apprehension, but Edward promised me it would happen, and it did.

Rachael Todd of Oviedo was crowned Miss Florida 2009. She represented the Miss Suncoast Pageant and congratulations are extended to her local directors, Roberta & Danielle Mortimer. A recent graduate of the University of Central Florida, she has already distinguished herself as an exceptional representative of our state. She attacked the paperwork for Miss America and still found time to shop, make appearances, take to trip to Washington DC, work on her platform, attend the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Pageant, work in Atlanta at Market, and she is just getting started. I can’t wait to see what the next months bring! One thing is for sure, Rachael understands the role of Miss Florida and she is determined to raise the bar to yet another level.

Myrrhanda Jones of Gainesville was crowned Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen 2009. She represented her home town of Gainesville and we say “well done” to local directors, Merissa Amkraut & Jason Curchy. Talk about busy! This young lady had less than 4 weeks to get ready to compete for the title of Miss America’s Outstanding Teen and not a moment was wasted! We congratulate her for placing as second runner up and winning Preliminary Evening Wear at the National Pageant. A true Teen, we could not be more proud of her accomplishments. She plans to stay very busy during the upcoming year as she promotes the Teen Pageant throughout Florida.

It is now time to look forward to the 2010 Preliminary Season and the Miss America Pageant in January! We have scheduled our Fall Meeting and Workshop for Judges October 11, 2009 at the Hilton St. Petersburg Carillon Park. With pageant season just around the corner, we need to make certain all of our batteries are recharged so we can be ready to welcome our new group of Miss & Teen Contestants for 2010! Stay tuned for the journey as we prepare for the 75th Anniversary of the Miss Florida Pageant! I hope that we see you along the way. With all best wishes,

Mary Sullivan
Executive Director



July 2, 2009
Dear Pageant Family:

We welcome you to A Night on the Town with our Miss Florida and Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen Contestants. We hope you will be present to join in the festivities as we welcome our 46 Miss Contestants and 30 Outstanding Teen Contestants to the 2009 Miss Florida Pageant! 74 years of history will once again come true for 76 young ladies as they step on the stage to compete for our 2009 titles.

We will say farewell to two incredible young ladies that have touched our lives and souls and we will never be the same. Sierra Minott, Miss Florida 2008, started her journey one year ago. I am honestly not sure where she thought it would lead, but I believe that her year of service has surpassed all of her expectations. She competed at Miss America giving 200% in every phase of her preparation. She went to Las Vegas with no regrets and knew that the decision was out of her hands. Placing as 4th runner up was a testament to this young woman’s dedication and determination, and we are very proud of all that she accomplished. When she returned to Florida, she was committed to making a difference in as many lives as possible. She touched all of us and we feel blessed that we could have her as our representative for a year. She will always be our Miss Florida 2008.

Courtney Sexton, our Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen, set a goal to make one hundred appearances and she not only met her mark, but exceeded it. She was a highly visible Outstanding Teen and role model as she traveled throughout the state. She epitomizes today’s youth and embodies what this program represents – scholastic achievement, a healthy lifestyle, creative accomplishment and community involvement. We will miss her quick smile and warm, charming personality, but look forward to seeing her back on our stage to compete as a Miss Florida contestant in a few years.

We are grateful to our Executive Producer Edward Walson for giving us the opportunity to share the Miss Florida Pageant through the television market. While it is our organization’s inaugural year for television, we are surrounded with an abundance of talented individuals that can make it happen! A special thank you to our Producer Wayne Gentry and his talented team from Louisiana; our dynamic Choreographer Shea Sullivan and the amazing dancers from New York City; our impressive force of emcees – Galen Kovash, David Lang, Kylie Williams, Kelly Gaudet and our final nights hosts, Fox Sports Anchor Chris Myers and CBS-4 Weather Anchor Lissette Gonzalez!

When you combine our Production team with 76 contestants and 118 Princess and Prince Participants, our Night on the Town will be one night not to miss! We hope to see you in St. Petersburg July 8-11, 2009!

With all best wishes,
Mary Sullivan, Executive Director



April 5, 2009
The past couple of months have flown by! Since returning from Miss America, Miss Florida 2008 Sierra Minott has been on a whirlwind of appearances traveling throughout the state and loving it! Her appearances have taken her from Panama City to Homestead, and all points in between. If you have an opportunity, please view Sierra’s Blog – she updates it frequently with both commentary and photos!

Sierra also was invited to attend and perform at Katie Stam’s Homecoming. She and Katie lunched in St. Petersburg at our host hotel, The Vinoy, during Super Bowl week, and then Sierra flew to Indianapolis, Indiana for the Homecoming celebration. We continue to wish Katie well as she represents our Organization.

Our pageants for the 2009 Miss Florida season are drawing to a close. Four pageants in the regular year remain and then the Miss Florida Board of Directors will sponsor a Sweeps Pageant in Dade City on April 19, 2009. The SWEEPS Pageant is open to any contestant that has competed for a title in 2009. The information is posted on the Miss Florida website and has also been sent to the Local Executive Directors. We don’t want anyone to miss the opportunity to compete for Miss Florida 2009!!! If are reading this, and have not received information on the Sweeps Pageant, please do not hesitate to contact me. Three titles will be given at the Sweeps Pageant and 45 titleholders will compete for Miss Florida 2009!

Our 2009 titleholders, both Miss & Teen, should be busy working toward Orientation Weekend, May 16-17, 2009 that will be held in our host city at the Marriott St Petersburg. The Miss Florida Pageant and Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen Pageant will be held July 8-11, 2009 at the beautiful Mahaffey Theater in downtown St. Petersburg. Please watch our web site for up to date information on our Host hotel and other hotels that will be offering special rates to our pageant’s families and friends and for ticket information to the 2009 Pageant.

More exciting information will follow soon! “To accomplish great things, we must dream as well as act!”

Warmly,
Mary E. Sullivan


February 2, 2009
Dear Pageant Family:

Miss America 2009! It was a fabulous journey and our Miss Florida Sierra Minott was a standout in every area of competition -- each time she came on stage! We could not have been more proud or delighted with her performance. The Miss Florida Board all agreed that we have the best of both worlds – Sierra received additional scholarship money to help fund her education and we, in Florida, are blessed to keep her here. Although we would have gladly shared her with the country, we are ecstatic that she is back in Florida!

After a couple of days to catch her breath, Sierra hit the road making appearances. She was quite visible during the Super Bowl festivities – appearing at a dinner hosted by the Mercedes Benz Organization; a VIP at the Celebrity Beach Bowl in our host city, St. Petersburg; and attending a posh party at the DuPont Publishing Company where she met Mary Murphy of So You Think You Can Dance, and Scott Kazmir, Pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays!

We congratulate Katie Stam, Miss America 2009, as she embarks on her year! Katie will be a beautiful representative for not only the Miss America Organization but for our country. Recently, Sierra met Katie for lunch at our host hotel, the Renaissance Vinoy, where they caught up on the aftermath of the Miss America Pageant. Sierra will be traveling to Indiana to attend Katie’s Homecoming.

We are grateful to the large delegation that went to Las Vegas to cheer on Miss Florida. Your enthusiastic support was felt by Sierra both on and off the stage. Former Miss Florida 2007 Kylie Williams, Miss Florida 2006 Allison Kreiger, and our reigning Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen Courtney Sexton were present in addition to many family members, friends, Miss Florida board members, local directors and committee members!

Now, it’s time to get ready for Miss Florida 2009! Our 2009 Pageant will be held July 5-11, 2009 at the magnificent Mahaffey Theater in beautiful downtown St. Petersburg. The Miss Florida Pageant’s Orientation will be May 16-17, 2009 also in St. Petersburg. Details will be forthcoming and posted on our website.

Our Local Pageants are fully in swing and we have posted updates to our website detailing the results of the local pageants. There will be more postings as the pageants occur so check back frequently for the latest new! We are posting both Miss & Teen Winners so stay with us…it will be a wild ride!

With best wishes for a Happy Valentine’s Day and every day!

Mary Sullivan
Executive Director


December 27, 2008
Dear Pageant Family:

I hope that your holidays were filled with much joy and many blessings. Nothing can take the place of being surrounded by loved ones during this beautiful season. As we enter a New Year, we are filled with optimism and hope for a year filled with success and prosperity. We have much to look forward to in the upcoming months!

January will bring much excitement for Miss Florida 2008 Sierra Minott! The Reality Show, Countdown to the Crown, will air on TLC January 2, 2009. A different episode will be shown each Friday in January, culminating with the crowning of Miss America on January 24, 2009. For the first time ever, America will be able to judge and place four girls into the pageant finals.

Last year, TLC and Miss America gave the pageant contestants a “Reality Check” and showed what it really takes to win the ultimate dream of becoming Miss America. This year, the stakes are even higher – a chance to win a spot in the pageant’s coveted “top 15” – when the 52 state titleholders live together and face a series of competitions in TLC’s COUNTDOWN TO THE CROWN. The four-part reality series kicks off Friday, January 2, 2009 at 10 PM (ET/PT). Once the top 15 have been selected, voting will be conducted online at www.TLC.com/MissAmerica and via text messaging.

Sierra will leave for Las Vegas on January 14 and on the 15th, all 52 contestants will begin the quest for the crown. Sierra is in the Sigma Group; she has Tuesday morning Interview; Swimsuit/Evening Wear Tuesday evening; Talent on Wednesday; and On Stage Question on Thursday. Courtney Sexton, Florida’s Outstanding Teen, will be in Las Vegas to cheer for Sierra and will also be in a Group Performance of Outstanding Teens on Thursday evening.

Sierra has been very busy the past few weeks with appearances throughout the state. She began the month of December spending several days in New York City working with Shea on her talent. She appeared with Mayor Baker in St. Petersburg for a Christmas Parade and also the Midtown Holiday Celebration. She toured South and North Florida visiting 8 middle schools and speaking with youth groups. She returned to her hometown of Fort Myers to speak with children and young adults. She and Courtney were special guests at a taping of the Game Show Wheel of Fortune in Orlando.

We have several local pageants on the schedule in January. Be certain to check our website for a list of dates of upcoming events. We look forward to seeing you in attendance!

May the beauty and joys of this season stay with you throughout the New Year.

All the best,
Mary E. Sullivan


November 4, 2008
Dear Pageant Family: The past couple of months have flown by and it will soon be time to celebrate the Holiday Season. We had a well attended Franchise Meeting and Fall Workshop in October. We were pleased to welcome back our returning local pageants, and to greet several new local directors. We appreciate all of our volunteers and the time they give to the Miss Florida Program. The young women of our state receive many educational and social opportunities because of the dedication of our volunteer force in Florida.

On Thursday, October 16, Sierra and I left for a trip to New York City. We met with Shea, who introduced Sierra to the new arrangement of her talent music and over the next three days, they worked together to perfect the revised routine. Sierra loved the changes!

We met with Stephen Yearick in his NYC Showroom and selected a beautiful gown for Sierra’s Miss America competition. We attended the Broadway Show Legally Blonde and were treated to a backstage tour by Kate Shindle, Miss America 1998. We shopped until we dropped and on Sunday, prior to leaving the City, lunched with Shauna Pender, Miss Florida 2003. Shauna is always such an inspiration to be around! She is living in New York City and sends her love to all of her Florida friends and family.

After returning from New York City, Sierra has kept a very busy and productive schedule. Some of her appearances include: Guest star at Hollywood Welcomes the Stars, a benefit for the Boys & Girls Club; featured guest at the Doorways Celebration in St. Petersburg; appearance at the Red Cross Golf Scramble; guest at the Celebration to Welcome Home the RAYS in St. Petersburg; speaker at the GEMS Club, Summit Christian School in Fort Myers. CHECK OUT SIERRA’S BLOG ON OUR WEBSITE! In addition to her appearances, she has kept a demanding routine of training – both physical and mental – as she prepares for Miss America and the duties of Miss Florida.

We are finalizing the Ticket & Badge requests for Miss America 2009! We have some last minute requests for Tickets and Badges and can only accommodate them until November 7, 2008 at which time Florida’s group order must be sent to the Miss America Organization.

Pageant Season begins with Miss Apopka on November 8th! Please support our local pageants! Our website has a listing under Local Pageants of the dates and contact information if you are able to attend.

With warm personal regards,
Mary E. Sullivan, Executive Director



September 22, 2008
Dear Pageant Family:

I’ve been real lucky and I say this with gratitude. I have been able to be in the company of the most beautiful, articulate, talented, intelligent, trendy, focused young women in our state. Our Miss Florida representatives have each had their time to shine and they have done so brilliantly. Miss Florida 2008 is having her time now in Los Angeles with the other 51 titleholders as they spend the next 17 days filming the Miss America Reality television series for TLC.

Sierra has had a very busy month between her appearance schedule and preparing for LA/Miss America. She has done an incredible job of balancing all of her obligations as well as her opportunities! I hope that many of you are making your plans to attend and support Sierra at the 2009 Miss America Pageant in Las Vegas, January 19-24, 2009! We are fortunate and very proud to have her as our representative to the Miss America Pageant and as Miss Florida to the Sunshine State.

The deadline for tickets and badges to attend this year’s Miss America Pageant is November 1, 2008. Please contact me for additional information if you plan to attend!

Sierra continues to reside in St. Petersburg. She moved from the apartment that Kylie previously occupied to a private family home and is much happier and content in the company of others, rather than living alone. She is committed to making her dream of being Miss America a reality.

We are extremely fortunate to have such supportive and generous sponsors for the Miss Florida Organization. We would like to thank all that have contributed to Sierra and the Miss Florida Organization. We are humbled by your dedication and generosity.

It’s that time to plan ahead for 2009! Our annual Fall Workshop for Local Executive Directors and their committees will be held October 12, 2008 at the Hilton Carillon Park, St. Petersburg. We look forward to welcoming our returning executive directors, and those that are new to the Miss Florida Program. Our Regional Judging Workshops are now in full swing. Please check our website for the complete list of up and coming Workshops!

SAVE THE DATE: The 2009 Miss Florida Pageant will be held July 5-12, 2009, in St. Petersburg. The beautiful Mahaffey Theater will once again be our event venue. More announcements to follow!

Please be safe and we look forward to seeing many of you at our Fall Workshop.

All the best,
Mary Sullivan,
Executive Director

Special thanks to the following individuals for their support and generosity to Sierra Minott, Miss Florida 2008 and to the Miss Florida Organization: Regalia Magnificent Apparel; Ann Marie’s of Homestead; Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio, Plant City; Copperhead Salon, Orlando; Bill & Kim Doniel; William F. Sullivan IV.; Richard Walker; Dana Dalton Judge; Lynne Dalton; Norma Storms; Luggage & More; Robb & Barbie Bauman….and the list continues.



August 28, 2008
A CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS………….

Dear Former Local & State Titleholders:

First and foremost, I hope you are well and that this communication will reach you! Some of you have married, some have moved from the state, some are completing your education, some are hard-working in your career choices, but you all share a wonderful common bond. You competed in the Miss Florida America system, and no matter how or where you finished, you gained from the experience.

The Miss America Program is at a turning point. Rich in history, the Miss America Organization has long maintained a tradition of empowering women to reach their personal and professional goals while encouraging them to make a difference through community service. Yet, the Organization must remain relevant and attractive to young women in these ever changing times. Year after year the Organization struggles to pull off a delicate balancing act, all the time providing coveted scholarship dollars to assist women in attaining their goal of a higher education.

One of the unique aspects of a state program is that we must provide a spark to keep the flame ignited, to focus and energize a group of state wide volunteers that so tirelessly and generously give their time, talents and often personal funds to insure that the program will continue, year after year. We must ward off negativity for a single negative moment can put out the spark that we have ignited.

I take pride in getting things done, and I visualize making the Miss Florida program better for future young women to enjoy. I don't know if little girls still dream of being Miss America, but I hope that they do.

I invite each of you to become involved with our Florida Program and to share with us your dreams, ideas, imagination, intelligence, talents, and passion for life. When we work together, even on a small scale, the chance that we can make a difference, will increase dramatically.

We need volunteers on the local and state levels. There are countless opportunities and who better to serve than those that have reaped the benefits? YOU have the knowledge and the vision that is vital to moving this program ahead. Whether it is running a local pageant, serving on a local pageant board, or volunteering on the state level we urge you to rejoin our pageant family. We need you!

If you are interested in volunteering with the Miss Florida Organization, please contact me to discuss this involvement. I can be reached by E-mail to mary@missflorida.org; by telephone at (305) 975-7076 (cell); (305) 665-3690 (office); or (305) 663-4898 (home).

I hope to hear from you and even if it is not to volunteer, please write or call to let us know what you are doing. You each enriched our lives and we are interested in your successes.

All the best,
Mary E. Sullivan
President/Executive Director
Miss Florida Scholarship Pageant, Inc.



July 21, 2008
It is a pleasure to extend our congratulations to Miss Florida 2008 Sierra Minott and to Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen 2008 Courtney Sexton! Both of these young ladies are going to embark on a fabulous journey and we are eager to watch as they represent our state at their National Competitions. We encourage them to keep their eyes focused on their long term goals and to have a great trip!

We applaud this year’s contestants in both our 2008 Miss & Teen Pageants. Our nation needs to get ready for the bright, talented, beautiful young women that are going to shape our future. They are preparing for excellence in all that they do and they demonstrated that during this year’s competition. Local Directors, parents, pageant volunteers – You must be very proud! Thank you for sharing these young women with the Miss Florida Organization. We look forward to seeing them again and watching as they venture out to make a difference.

Denim & Diamonds was a hit! The contestants had a great time and loved the theme that gave them freedom to have fun! We thank all that made this year so successful! Our Producer, Wayne Gentry; Choreographer, Shea Sullivan; Performers – Glenn Cummings, Vanessa Dakin, Tommy Scrivens, Miguel Quinones, Zac Hammer, Kyle Wynn, Miss Florida 2007 Kylie Williams, Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen, Alexandra Milbrath, and our House Band; Emcees – Galen Kovash, Nicole Johnson, Dana Dalton Judge, Kylie Williams, Allison Kreiger, and Alexandra Milbrath; the 45 Miss Contestants, 32 Teen Contestants; the Miss Florida Board of Directors; our judges – Dorothy Benham, Hal Laster, Lesley Moss, Michael Baron & Mark Jensen; Mayor Rick Baker, the City of St. Petersburg & Mahaffey Theater and our incredible SPONSORS….. the list goes on. There was greatness all around us!

We hope that many of you will be able to attend the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Pageant, August 12-16, 2008 in Orlando at the Linda Chapin Theater. Courtney would love to have your support as she competes for the title at the next level of competition. She recently returned from a trip to New York City for her talent routine. Courtney’s music was already reserved and it was necessary to learn a new dance. She is an amazing teenager with a lot of spunk & moxie! She had a photo shoot with Deanna Meredith for her new headshots and will be visiting several sponsors to supplement her competition wardrobe as she prepares for the national competition.

Sierra has also been very busy - she had new photographs taken with Deanna Meredith, has been working on paperwork for Miss America and the Reality Show, shopping for wardrobe compliments of MFP sponsors, moving to her apartment in St. Petersburg, making appearances, and even has been able to spend some brief time with her family and friends while all the time, preparing for her job as Miss Florida 2008! Sierra will be attending the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Pageant, and will be presenting the official welcome to all of the state executive directors at the opening of the MAO Workshop, August 13, 2008. 40 of the 52 titleholders are expected to arrive in Orlando for the Teen event and it will be a wonderful opportunity to form friendships prior to arriving in LA for the taping of the Reality Show on September 10th – October 10th, 2008.

Kaitlin Monte, Miss Tampa and first runner up to Miss Florida 2008, will be Florida’s representative to the National Sweetheart Pageant in Hoopeston, Illinois. The Pageant takes place during the Sweetcorn Festival over Labor Day. We’ll keep you updated with information on the Sweetheart Pageant.

As we bid farewell to our competition for 2008 – We look toward a brighter tomorrow. You know, our critics hang around and wait for us to make mistakes. The real doers have no time to criticize others – they are too busy doing, making mistakes, improving, making progress, yearning and learning.

All the best,
Mary Sullivan
Executive Director


March 9,2008
It has been a busy 2008 and there doesn’t seem to be any change in sight! I will begin by congratulating Miss Florida 2007 for her outstanding representation of the Miss Florida Program at Miss America 2008! Not only did she place in the Top 16, but she was also the first runner up to the Quality of Life Award that recognizes contestants who excel in their commitment to community service through their own personal platform issue. The recipients of this award have demonstrated excellence in enhancing the quality of life for others through volunteerism with special attention paid to the depth of service and the significant efforts upon the lives of others. Kylie received $8,000 in scholarships for her participation at the national level.

Kylie returned to Florida to a full and exciting appearance schedule. She began the school tour of Right Decisions Right Now to rave reviews from Middle School teachers and administrators. Some of the upcoming counties that Kylie will be presenting RDRN are Polk, Hillsborough, Duval, Columbia Hamilton, Holmes, Leon, Suwannee, Pinellas, Nassau and Orange. She traveled to Dallas, Texas to visit for several days with a burn victim from El Salvador, Nathaniel Ortiz Rodriguez or “Nata” as he’s more affectionately known. With burns covering 80 per cent of his body, it is hoped that medical treatment and plastic surgery that he will receive at the Shriner’s Hospital in Galveston will help Nata to live a more normal life. Kylie recently emceed Miss Pasco County/Miss Pasco County Fair, Miss Tampa, and will be emceeing Miss Broward County at the end of March. She was invited to sing America the Beautiful at the Honda Grand Prix in St. Petersburg and will be the special guest at an upcoming benefit/fund raiser for the families of Navy Seals. In two weeks she will host the Red Cross Telethon on CBS which will be aired from Tampa. In her spare time she is enjoying living in St. Petersburg and may have just found her new home!

I would like to update you on some very important dates: Miss Florida & Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen ORIENTATION:

May 17-18, 2008
St. Petersburg, FL

This year’s Orientation is being held at the Hilton Carillon Park in St. Petersburg and details for booking hotel rooms will be announced soon! The tentative schedule is as follows:

May 17 – A.M. – Registration for Miss & Teen Contestants
May 17 – Afternoon P.M. – Orientation for Miss & Teen
May 17- Evening – Tribute to Miss Florida & Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen
May 18 – A.M. – Lottery for placement – Miss & Teen
May 18 – A.M. – Franchise Meeting – all Executive Directors
May 18 – A.M. Parents Meeting of Miss & Teen Contestants
Meetings will conclude by 1:00 P.M., 5-18-08

All Meetings & Events will take place at the Hilton Carillon Park. Orientation Weekend is Mandatory for the Miss & Teen Contestants. It is open to Parents & Family Members of Contestants, Local Executive Directors and Pageant Committees.

The Miss Florida & Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen Pageant will take place in St. Petersburg at the Mahaffey Theater, July 2-5, 2008. Watch for additional details about pageant week including how to purchase tickets, special appearances and events during pageant week, etc. We have several hotels that have offered special room rates for the week and will be publishing those to the website in the near future. We hope that you are making plans to attend the 2008 Miss Florida Pageant!

Mary E. Sullivan
Executive Director

November 23,2007
As we enter the time of year when we reflect on our blessings, it seems appropriate to take time and thank our volunteers, sponsors and supporters for their dedication, generosity and tireless devotion to the Miss Florida Program. The young women of Florida are materially and positively affected by your mental, physical and financial contributions. We cannot express enough gratitude for your efforts in making a difference in the innumerable young women's lives that compete in the Miss Florida Pageant.

The past few weeks have been very busy ones for the Miss Florida Pageant and Miss Florida Kylie Williams. We have crowned six titleholders that will compete for Miss Florida 2008 and we extend our congratulations to Miss Tallahassee, Miss North Florida Fair, Miss Capitol City, Miss Gulf Coast, Miss Ocala Marion County and Miss Silver Springs on joining our Miss Florida family! Our local franchises met in Orlando for our Fall Franchise Meeting and Judging Workshops were held in Tallahassee, Miami, Orlando and Dade City.

We sailed on the Majesty of the Seas for the Miss America Cruise October 29-November 2, 2007. 31 State Titleholders, Miss America Staff and members of the Miss America Board of Directors joined delegates and guests from State Organizations for a lively week at sea! Unfortunately we had one uninvited guest – Hurricane Noel – that changed the course of our plans but this group provided their own entertainment which included a Halloween Costume Party and Talent Show featuring the 31 titleholders, Miss America Lauren Nelson, and Miss America’s Outstanding Teen, Caitlin Bunnell.

Two days after we returned, Miss Florida was on her way to Los Angeles to join 51 other state titleholders for the filming of the Reality Television Special that will air prior to the Miss America Pageant. “Mum” is the word on the filming but it promises to be exciting as we meet the 52 titleholders in their quest for the crown. Seems as if we are looking for the IT GIRL!

Some of Kylie’s appearances during the past few weeks included a Fashion Show for the Soroptimist International Club in Homestead; the Florida Forestry Festival in Perry; the Miss Tallahassee/North Florida Fair/Capitol City Pageants; the Northwest Championship Rodeo in Bonifay; Customer Appreciation Day at Hopkins Motor Company in Lake City; iShop in Tallahassee; the FSU Homecoming Parade and Game; the Miss Largo Organization’s annual Golf Tournament and the NASCAR Season Finale Race at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. On October 19 Kylie took to the skies in a F-15C with Lt. Col. Kevin Murray, commander of the 2nd fighter squadron at Tyndall Air Force Base known as the Beagles. Prior to the flight Kylie got a small taste of the time and effort that it takes just to get one of the planes off the ground. It was truly the experience of a lifetime to fly in the B-15!

In October, we managed to fly to New York City for a couple of days. Kylie had never visited the Big Apple and we tried to see as many things as time would allow between shopping!

We have a delegation of approximately 100 persons that will cheer Kylie on at the Miss America Pageant. Thanks to all of our pageant friends and supporters that are planning to join us in Las Vegas.

We hope that the upcoming weeks will bring much Joy and Happiness to our pageant family. We are blessed to have such a strong supportive group in Florida. Remember to also support our Florida Girls USO Troupe! More information to follow about some of their planned activities and appearance schedule.

All the best
Mary Sullivan


August 13,2007
Dear Pageant Family,

Can it already be October? The next letter will be the Christmas one which will mean that time is passing way too quickly! The past several weeks have been filled with many achievements for the Miss Florida Organization. As we enter the 2008 Preliminary pageant season, we are elated that 42 local pageants will provide countless chances for Florida's young women to qualify for Miss Florida 2008. It is because of the highly talented and absolutely committed volunteers in this state that our program continues to expand. After a recent meeting with Mayor Rick Baker, we are confident that our partnership with the City of St. Petersburg will yield many new opportunities to acquire sponsors and patrons for the Miss Florida Pageant. It's great to know that we have such a welcoming Home!

Miss Florida Kylie Williams will be residing in St. Petersburg during her year as Miss Florida. We were extremely fortunate in that Maury L. Carter & Associates, Inc., a real estate investment firm, made a donation to the Miss Florida Pageant for Kylie's living expenses. This generosity enabled us to lease an apartment in downtown St. Petersburg where Kylie will live, work & play during the upcoming year. Kylie's “new” home has many fabulous amenities – great fitness center, beautiful pool area, rooftop patio overlooking the downtown area, fabulous location, and more! A goal of the Miss Florida Pageant was to relocate Miss Florida to a central location which will cut down on travel time in our vast state!

Kylie's preparation for Miss America is well underway. We will be traveling to New York City in October for a shopping trip and to finalize Kylie's talent wardrobe and interview. October will also find us boarding the Miss America Cruise with 30 other titleholders, Miss America Organization's Board and Staff, Miss America state directors, committee members and volunteers for a 5 day 4 night cruise to the Bahamas. Kylie will leave in November for LA and the taping of a “reality show” that will air prior to the Miss America Pageant's finals. In between the whirlwind of activities, she will work on talent, interview, fitness, etc. and continue to make appearances.

Miss America Update:
If you are planning to go to Miss America this year, information on tickets and rooms have been sent out. If you did not receive this information, e mail me to marycrwnmry@aol.com and I will forward the appropriate forms to you.

The firm deadline for the Miss Florida Pageant to receive your ticket order is November 1, 2007. We are optimistic that a large delegation from Florida will be on hand to cheer for Miss Florida 2007!

Fall Workshop & Judging Workshops
The MFP Fall Workshop will be held Sunday, October 7, 2007 at the University of Central Florida. The Workshop is not open to the Public but is required for Local Executive Directors. Local committee members and volunteers for Local Pageants are welcome to attend. Anyone in attendance must have a current pageant affiliation. Judging Workshops: Regional Workshops have been scheduled in Tallahassee and Miami during October. We will be scheduling Workshops in the Central Florida area in November.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: If you love what you do, and you feel that it matters, then the passion will show. In today's world, I care is not just a nice phrase but a two word recipe for excellence, success and fulfillment. It all comes down to those who really care and those who don't. Be the one that cares.

Fondly,
Mary E. Sullivan,
Executive Director


August 13,2007
Dreams came true for Kylie Williams, Miss Tallahassee, as she was crowned Miss Florida 2007 at the Florida State Pageant in St. Petersburg on June 30, 2007. The Mahaffey Theater came alive with this year's theme, Dreamgirls, produced by Wayne Gentry and choreographed by Shea Sullivan. An impressive cast of performers dazzled the audience and provided an energetic and professional production for the 2007 Contestants. As a new Miss Florida was crowned, we bid farewell to Allison Kreiger, Miss Florida 2006 a young woman that paved a path of excellence and achievements for the Miss Florida Organization. The week was filled with many shining moments as the City of St. Petersburg rolled out the red carpet for our 40 titleholders and their supportive family, directors, friends, Sunshine Princesses, patrons and sponsors. We were honored to host Miss America 2007, Lauren Nelson; Miss America 1999 Lauren Nicole Johnson; Kayne Gillaspie, Project Runway star and fashion designer; Katie Thai, Children's Miracle Network Champion; our distinguished panel of judges; the Miss Florida performers and our 2007 pageant emcees, Melissa Aggelles Vincent, Galen Kovash, Shauna Pender and Mari Wilensky. The Miss Florida Pageant is possible because of volunteers that contribute – free of charge – their time, energy, and talent. Without their priceless contributions and inexhaustible generosity, we could not produce such an outstanding program for the young women of our state and we are forever grateful. We deeply appreciate our sponsors and patrons as their contributions materially and positively affect the young women of Florida. We look forward to their support in the future as we strive to continue to improve the Miss Florida Pageant.

Kylie has been very busy the past four weeks preparing her paperwork for the Miss America Pageant. Her appearances began immediately as she returned for a few days to her hometown before traveling to Miami. She recently met with the Department of Veterans Affairs at our state's capitol in Tallahassee and received an appointment as the Official Ambassador for Veterans Advocacy for the State of Florida. Kylie's commitment to our service men and women is a driving force behind her goal to become Miss America. She looks forward to a busy and productive job as Miss Florida.

We wish our Florida’s Outstanding Teen Alexandra Milbrath luck and best wishes as she competes in Orlando for Miss America’s Outstanding Teen. The preliminaries are August 7-9, and the Finals August 11, 2007; all are taking place at the Linda Chapin Theater at the Orlando Convention Center. We are so impressed with Alexandra’s accomplishments and proud that she is representing us at this year’s Teen Pageant. Kylie will be present to cheer for Alexandra as 26 of the MAO state titleholders meet in Orlando for the Teen Pageant.

Our first runner up, Olusola Bamishigbin, will be representing Florida at the National Sweetheart Pageant in Hoopeston, Illinois over the Labor Day Weekend. We wish her the best of luck as she competes with over 30 first or second runner-ups from state programs.

Stay turned as we will be posting regular updates to keep our pageant family and friends informed as to the latest Miss Florida & Miss America happenings.

We hope that you are enjoying a fun-filled & relaxing summer!


June 15,2007
It’s Time to Find Your Dreamgirl at the Miss Florida Pageant!
The 2007 Miss Florida Pageant contestants will arrive on June 24, 2007 for the 72nd Annual Miss Florida Pageant. It is going to be an electrifying week as we take the pageant back “home” to St. Petersburg. An action packed schedule is planned for the 40 young women that are competing for the job of Miss Florida 2007.

They will make appearances at the Tampa Bay Devil Rays Game, cruise on the Yacht Starship, visit children at the Children’s Miracle Network All Children’s Hospital, tour beautiful Sunken Gardens, be hosted to Brunch at the Vinoy and attend seminars given by local members of the medical community.

The competition schedule will be keen as the contestants have been divided into three Groups – A, B, & C. Random drawings selected their placement and competition will be held on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights, June 27-29, 2007 in the fabulous Mahaffey Theater at the Progress Energy Center. The Pageant’s Finals are Saturday June 30, 2007 when we will crown Miss Florida 2007.

Allison Kreiger Miss Florida 2006 will be the featured guest throughout the week. The preliminary hosts are Mari Wilensky, Miss Florida 2005, Shauna Pender, Miss Florida 2003, Lauren Nelson, Miss America 2007, Nicole Johnson, Miss America 1999, Melissa Aggeles Vincent, Miss Florida 1988 and Galen Kovash. Project Runway’s Kayne Gillaspie will be on hand for a special appearance and the week will be filled with many different events for everyone to enjoy.

Our 91 Florida Sunshine Princesses will add a special touch to the evening wear competition – Don’t miss their on-stage production on Final Night!

Under the Production team of Wayne Gentry & Shea Sullivan, this year’s theme is Dreamgirls and performing live will be Nicole Henry, Robyn Martin and Anastacia McCleskey. Our Miss Florida dancers are Tommy Scrivens, Miguel Quinones, Kasey Hughes, Daniel Hunalp and Kyle Wynn.

Tickets for the event are available through Ticketmaster or the Box Office of the Mahaffey Theater. We hope that you will join us for our most sensational pageant ever!

All the best,
Mary E. Sullivan Executive Director
Miss Florida Scholarship Pageant, Inc.

March 22, 2007
We are almost to the end of our preliminary season – 42 contestants will be competing for the title of Miss Florida 2007. We are excited to meet all of our Miss contestants during Orientation weekend, April 14-15 in our host city of St. Petersburg. We have a full weekend planned, especially since our Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen Pageant is being held at the same time. 30 contestants will be vying for that coveted title and the opportunity to represent the state of Florida at the National Pageant in August.

During Orientation Weekend, the Miss Florida titleholders will register, attend their Orientation, view the fabulous Mahaffey Theater at the Progress Energy Center, visit the USF Residence Hall, support the Teen participants at the MFOTeen Pageant, and end their weekend at a Luncheon for Miss Florida Allison Kreiger. The Luncheon’s theme is Dare to be Fabulous and accurately describes our Miss Florida!

On Saturday April 14, 2007 we will bid farewell to a young woman that has been an exemplary representative of our Teen Program. Sydney Keister has displayed the same poise and grace off stage as she does when performing her talent onstage. We look forward to the future when she competes for the Miss Florida title.

Miss Florida, Allison Kreiger, has been non-stop busy since returning from the Miss America Pageant. Some of her appearances include: The Taste of the NFL; Miss University of Miami Pageant; Miami’s Veterans Hospital; Florida’s Children Hospital in Orlando; Miss Seminole County Pageant; Twirlmania in Orlando; Miss University of Florida Pageant; Reception sponsored by the National Foundation for the Arts; South Beach Wine & Food Festival; Fashion Show for the National Alliance for Eating Disorders “Rockin Bodies”; Miss Miami Gardens Pageant; UCF’s Knight Walk to benefit the March of Dimes; Speaker at University of Miami and Florida International University for Eating Disorders Week; Kids in the Kitchen, Orlando; Miss Miami and Miss Suncoast Pageant; Right Decisions, Right Now presentation at schools in Pasco and Pinellas County; Miss Tampa Pageant………the list continues. And so I will say,

The title of Miss Florida 2006 is more than a job to Allison Kreiger, it is her passion. Traveling over 50,000 miles in eight months and logging in 80+ appearances, she has raised the bar for a Miss Florida titleholder and set a great example for future titleholders. She has proven that a young woman, given a microphone with which to communicate a message, can touch and in many instances change the lives of others. I am very impressed by Allison’s motivation and drive to succeed and her ability to lead by being a high performance role model.

The Miss Florida Pageant’s dates are June 24-30, 2007. My next letter will outline many of the events which will keep our contestants busy and motivated during Pageant Week. We look forward to seeing all of our friends and supporters at the 2007 Miss Florida Pageant. Don’t miss seeing your Dreamgirl compete!

Warm wishes, Mary E. Sullivan, Executive Director Miss Florida Scholarship Pageant, Inc.

February 17, 2007
Since my last letter, we have celebrated the Holidays, bid a fond farewell to 2006 and greeted 2007 with anticipation for a year filled with happiness, success and many blessings! In January, we continued to prepare for Miss America 2007. Allison was totally committed to being the very best representative she could be and was dedicated and determined to not having any regrets once she arrived at the Miss America Pageant. Approximately one hundred Florida delegates traveled to Las Vegas to support Allison and the Miss Florida Pageant. Allison definitely felt the love during her on stage competitions and was flawless in swimsuit; elegant, beautiful, and stunning in gown; and, in her words, had the Talent Performance of her lifetime! In other words, there were no regrets! As we all know, Competitions are often not easy to figure out and this was no exception to the rule. We congratulate the Miss Oklahoma Pageant on having Miss America 2007 and wish Lauren much luck as she travels and represents the country. She will be an outstanding Miss America!

Once returning to Florida, there was little time to relax. Allison is our busiest Miss Florida, in part, because she has a wonderful way of making things happen! All you have to do is to read her letters, visit her website or that of the Miss Florida Pageant, and you will see she rarely takes a day off! She is determined to leave her legacy as Miss Florida and to set an example for future Miss Florida titleholders to follow. As we look toward the next few months, we do so with much pride in our program and our Miss Florida.

The Miss America Organization announced that the Children’s Miracle Network will be the National Platform for Miss America. For 18 years a partnership has existed between the two organizations and now that partnership has expanded beyond the national level to the state and local levels. In Florida, we have nine hospitals that are affiliated with the Children’s Miracle Network. As we move toward the next couple of months, we will learn everything we need to about this partnership and how this will affect not only the Miss America Organization, but the Miss Florida program and our local pageants. The Children’s Miracle Network can bring exposure and help with the credibility of a charity that everyone wants to donate to. We will provide our local executive directors with the information on this partnership at our Orientation in April, 2007.

The 2007 Miss Florida Pageant’s Orientation will be held in St. Petersburg, during the weekend of April 13-15, 2007. As we make plans to return back “home” to St. Petersburg, we do so with combined happiness and some sadness. I love my hometown of Miami and had wanted it to be the home of the Miss Florida Pageant. Unfortunately that feeling wasn’t exactly mutual. Mayor Baker and the City of St. Petersburg are excited to welcome us back and this time, we are planting out roots! The beautiful Mahaffey Theatre will be the perfect backdrop for our 2007 Pageant and will also serve as our home for all of our pageant activities. The University of South Florida’s St. Petersburg campus will house our contestants in spacious apartments where they will enjoy their own suites complete with 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, full kitchen and living area. Did I mention that there will be no housekeeping service? Oops …. But it’s great training…….There are many exciting events on the horizon for our contestants, and we look forward to sharing them with you in the next couple of months.

Please plan to support the Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen Program and the Florida Sunshine Princess Program. Both of these are fundraisers for the Miss Florida Pageant and we need you to help us achieve success! Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen Pageant will be held during our Orientation Weekend in April. The winner of that pageant will represent our state during the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen National Pageant, Orlando, in August, 2007.

The dates of the Miss Florida Pageant are June 27-30, 2007. Contestants will arrive June 24 and depart July 1, 2007. The pageant’s performance venue is the Mahaffey Theater at the Progress Energy Center. I invite you to view their website at www.mahaffeytheater.com to see the beautiful facility that will showcase our contestants! Our Producer Wayne Gentry and Choreographer Shea Sullivan have planned a show that will be a dream for our titleholders to participate in. So mark your calendars, invite everyone that you know, and spend a week with us in beautiful downtown St. Petersburg where every day will be a great one!

In closing, I would like to congratulate the newly appointed President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Miss America Organization, Art McMaster. Previously, Art served as Acting President and CEO and held this position since January 1, 2004. Both Art and Sam Haskell, III, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Miss America Organization, are working together with the State Organizations to create an even brighter future for our young women!

Be safe and well until we see you in April for our Pageant Orientation!

Warmest regards, Mary

December 21, 2006

The past month has been quite busy and “interesting” to say the least. After Thanksgiving, Allison and I took a trip to New York City. We were on the go from the moment we stepped from the plane! Between gown fittings, talent rehearsals, and shopping, Allison also had a meeting at the Girl Scout Headquarters and was a special guest at an eating disorder fundraiser. We returned back to Florida and it was full steam ahead with Miss America preparation. I think Allison is really anxious to leave for the Miss America competition. Two Send Off parties for her are scheduled – a Red Carpet event in the Orlando area on December 30, 2006, and a Get Together in Miami on January 7, 2007.

We are facing a busy pageant month in January 2007. Our local pageants will be awarding 11 local titles and the excitement will continue to build toward Miss Florida 2007. Please attend and support these local pageants if possible. Check our website page, for information on the dates and locations of the local events in your area.

The Finals of the Miss America Pageant will be held on January 29, 2007 on CMT. I will provide you with updates and additional information leading up to Miss America.

On behalf of the Miss Florida Organization, we wish you a Holiday Season that is filled with peace, health and happiness. May all of your hopes and dreams come true during the coming New Year.

Warmest wishes,
Mary E. Sullivan
Executive Director

11/26/06
THANK YOU!
Two of the most powerful words in the English language are Thank You. During this time of year, we stop to give thanks for our many blessings and to appreciate all the opportunities and privileges that can be overlooked throughout our busy year. We also offer thanks for the men and women in uniform that are sacrificing their lives so that we may enjoy freedom and democracy. It is our hope that each of you enjoyed your Thanksgiving Day surrounded by loved ones and close friends. The last two months have been fast paced and busy! Our Fall Judging Workshop and Franchise Meeting were held in October at the University of Central Florida campus. We extend our thanks to Rick Brinkley, National Judging Consultant for the Miss America Organization, for traveling to Florida and conducting our Judges and Contestants Workshop. We offer gratitude to our host for day, Veronica Livesay and the UCF staff. The MFP Board of Directors announced that the 2007 Miss Florida Pageant would be held June 24-30, 2007 at the beautifully renovated Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg. The return of our pageant to St. Petersburg culminates many months of planning on behalf of the MFP Executive Board and the City of St. Pete. We look forward to returning “home” to a City that embraces our program and we thank Mayor Rick Baker and his staff for working together with the MFP to make this happen! Many exciting plans for the future are in the works and we hope that our pageant family will fully support our continued efforts to better the program for the young women of Florida. Orientation Weekend and Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen Pageant will take place April 13-15, 2007 in St. Petersburg. The Teen Pageant will be held at the Palladium Theatre. We have listened to our local pageants and have once again combined these two events. Save the date and watch for updates concerning the schedule for this weekend. The Miss America Pageant is just two short months away, January 25-29, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada and we are excited that a large delegation will be traveling to personally support Miss Florida. Allison has been extremely busy during the last few months. She has already made over 50 appearances as Miss Florida and that number is climbing! There was some time to relax however as Allison joined 12 other state titleholders for a Miss America Cruise October 30-November 3, 2006. We had a great time visiting with friends from various state programs, Art McMaster & wife from the Miss America Organization, and four servicemen from Walter Reed Hospital. Allison was an enthusiastic cruiser and participated in a Search for the Crown treasure hunt; a Volleyball Game of which she co-starred with Wayne Dewitt (MFP’s CPA); a Costume Party at which she won Most Spirited for her Candy Corn costume; and performed in a Talent Show attended by over 1000 cruise guests! Did I mention she relaxed on this cruise? During the next several weeks, we will be concentrating on fine tuning Allison’s preparation for Miss America. She has a regimented schedule that includes but not limited to disciplined fitness training, speech and communication coaching, talent rehearsal, platform updates, and shopping….shopping….! In closing, I will do so with the way I began – by saying Thank You to our pageant volunteers for your many tireless hours throughout the year on the Local and State level. I am honored and privileged to have to have worked with such dedicated and caring individuals as those associated with the Miss Florida program. Our mission is by no means complete as we look forward to collaborating with everyone in the system to improve both the Miss Florida Pageant and Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen Pageant. It takes all of us working together to achieve the high goals and expectations that we have established for the Florida program. May you continue to be richly blessed and safe during this Holiday Season. Mary E. Sullivan, Executive Director

October 5, 2006
Dear Pageant Family:

Time really does fly when you are having fun! The past couple of months since the Miss Florida Pageant have flown by…but that’s a good thing. Miss Florida Allison Kreiger has been very busy with her duties as Miss Florida and her preparation for the Miss America Pageant, January 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Ticket & Badge information has been received from the Miss America Organization and I will be sending it out within the next few days. If you are planning to attend Miss America this year, and do not personally receive the information, please make certain that you contact me at marycrwnmry@aol.com. We will also put the information that is available concerning tickets and badges on our website.

I would like to remind everyone about the Judge’s & Contestant’s Workshop next weekend, October 14, 2006, at the University of Central Florida. We are both fortunate and honored to have Rick Brinkley as our presenter and hope that we will have a great representation at both Workshops. If you are interested in attending the judges or contestants workshop, please observe the Registration times and report timely.

The Miss Florida Pageant Franchise Meeting is Saturday, October 14, 2006. This meeting is for our local directors and their committees as well as potential local pageants. We hope to see everyone there to share in the 2006-2007 Pageant News!

September was a fast paced month for Allison. She flew to Los Angeles to participate with the other 51 MAO titleholders in the taping of Pageant School: Finding Miss America. She was back in Florida for one day, to unpack and pack, and off to Washington DC for the National Eating Disorders Awareness Conference, where she spent several days lobbying and meeting our lawmakers. Upon returning to Florida, there were several full days of preparation before leaving once again, this time to New York City. We embarked on a very busy three days of shopping, talent preparation, getting reacquainted with friends, and more! Thanks to Stephen Yearick, Shea Sullivan, and our pageant friends for making this trip successful, productive and yes, fun! We look forward to more of the same.

Warmest wishes,
Mary E. Sullivan Executive Director Miss Florida Scholarship Pageant, Inc.

August 13, 2006
It has been five weeks since we crowned Miss Florida 2006 & Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen 2006. As I reflect on pageant week I can’t help but do so with mixed emotions. The 40 Miss Florida titleholders’ arrival in Miami on Saturday, July 1, 2006 was smooth and flawless. Once checked-in and moved-in, we boarded busses provided by the Miami Dade County Transit Authority and were off to dinner at the home of Bret & Amy Berlin in Coconut Grove. Upon arriving there, we found a gracious and generous couple waiting for us along with Anthony Williams, our pageant liaison with Miami -Dade County.

Not only was the food abundant, the Berlins had moved the furniture from their living and dining area and replaced it with round tables and chairs that comfortably accommodated the 60 guests. The evening, complete with a special appearance by Amy & Bret’s beautiful baby girl, was magnificent and a great way to begin our pageant week!

The Miss Florida Titleholders were special guests of the Florida Marlins on Sunday, July 2, 2006. The contestants signed autographs for the hundreds of fans that lined up – both fans of the Marlins and the Boston Red Sox! Wow – I didn’t realize they were such a popular team in our area. The contestants were presented and introduced on field prior to the beginning of the game and then took their seats in the stadium to watch and cheer on the Florida Marlins!

That evening we had our Orientation and one of the things I promised them was this was to be the year without “incident” - a year when we could relax and bask in the spirit of competition and friendship. We put that plan into action!

On Tuesday, July 4, 2006, the Miss Florida titleholders were treated to a sponsored Luncheon at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. The contestants, dressed in red, white or blue attire, had a beautiful day to celebrate the 4th and pay honor to what it means to be an American. Later that day and evening the celebrations of the day turned to challenges. 9 contestants and 2 hostesses became ill enough that they were taken to the hospital emergency room – some by ambulance – some by private transportation. It was determined that they had a food borne illness consistent with what had been eaten mid-day. Two contestants were admitted overnight to Doctor’s Hospital; seven contestants and the two hostesses spent the night in the South Miami Hospital’s emergency room.

This situation made unusual demands on everyone – the contestants that were not ill but still affected, the production team, the pageant staff -- virtually everyone involved with the MFP. The ensuing days were demanding, but through everyone’s full cooperation and collaboration, we found the strength to overcome the obstacles and persevered over yet, another crisis. We have plenty to be proud of – our young women are examples of what is the best in this state. Given the adverse conditions stacked against us, they were flexible and open to change, cooperative, and compassionate to their fellow contestants.

Enter our 34 Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen Contestants on Thursday and we were back on schedule. They attended the Thursday night Miss Florida preliminary to encourage and cheer the Miss contestants. On Friday, the Miss contestants attended the Teen Preliminary and reciprocated – they were very generous and loud with their applause and cheers for the Teens! On Saturday, the Teens visited STRIKE, in Miami for some “competitive bowling” and recreation.

The Saturday night Finals culminated with Sydney Keister being crowned as Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen 2006 and Allison Kreiger crowned as Miss Florida 2006. We congratulate each of these young women and look forward to sharing their many successes this year with all of you. With each victory over adversity, we grow in wisdom, stature and experience. Maybe next year is “that year without incident”! Stay tuned!

Mary

6/2/06
What’s So Hot About Miami? The Miss Florida Pageant ….It’s …. Too Darn Hot!

In one month, the 71st annual Miss Florida Pageant will be held in Miami. 40 young women, representing cities and communities from throughout the state, will compete for the title of Miss Florida 2006. The pageant’s Preliminaries will be held on July 5-8, 2006 at the Miami Dade County Auditorium. On Saturday, July 8, 2005, Miss Florida 2006 and the 2006 Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen will be crowned.

It will be Too Darn Hot in Miami when the contestants visit a Florida Marlins Game, the Miami Metro Zoo, Bayside, and the historic Biltmore Hotel. They will participate in Service Day at the Miami Veterans Hospital and pay tribute to those that have served and protected our homeland.

Miss Florida 2005 Mari Wilensky has been an outstanding representative for the Sunshine State. She placed in the Top Ten at Miss America; was a Quality of Life Finalist and recipient of the Charles & Teresa Brown Scholarship. Her year has been a very busy one as she has traveled across the state promoting the Miss Florida Pageant and her platform, Literally at Risk. She has shared the stage with Newt Gingrich in Miami and with U. S. Senator John McCain in Lakeland. She appeared at charity events for Best Buddies, Samantha’s Friends, Boys and Girls Clubs, American Red Cross, Ovarian Cancer Alliance and the Autism Society of America -- to name a few. She has visited elementary schools through Florida promoting her message of Reading is Fun!

Mari not only competed in the Miss America Pageant but also the National Sweetheart Pageant in Hoopeston, Illinois, where she placed in the top ten. Her roommate, Jennifer Berry, won the title of Miss America and Mari traveled to Tulsa, Oklahoma for her Homecoming Celebration.

We invite each of you to Feel the Heat and attend our 71st annual Pageant this year to watch as Mari crowns her successor. Tickets will be available through Ticketmaster on June 5, 2006. This year’s guest hosts will be Galen Kovash, Dana Dalton Judge, Jamie Bolding Becker and from Channel 7, anchors Christine Cruz & Richard Leemus. The pageant’s theme is a Broadway tribute to Miss Florida 2005. The Miss Florida Cast, under Choreographer Shea Sullivan & Producer Wayne Gentry, will set the stage for our Miss Florida Contestants. We hope to see you in Miami!

Mary E. Sullivan,
Executive Director Miss Florida Scholarship Pageant, Inc.

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March 2, 2006
This past month has brought about many decisions with regard to the upcoming pageant dates. I have shared this information with our local executive directors but also realize that many of our friends and supporters check our website for the latest information and we appreciate their interest. Enclosed is a list of upcoming dates:

April 22, 2006: Runner Up Pageant Location: Tampa, Florida (exact details will be added soon) The Runner Up Pageant will be open to all contestants that have been a runner up or a non finalist winner during the season leading to the 2006 Pageant. Multiple titles will be awarded. This Pageant will be sponsored by the MFP and mentors will be appointed to assist the titleholders in their preparation for state.

May 20-21: Orientation Weekend – Miss & Teen Contestants Location: Rosen Centre, Orlando, Florida (A Timeline of events will be sent to each local executive director & Titleholder) Open only to titleholders, parents, local executive directors & committees

Salute to Miss Florida & Miss Florida Outstanding Teen Will take place during the Orientation Weekend. Additional information to follow. Ticketed event.

2006 Miss Florida Pageant (July 5-8) Public Dates Miami-Dade County Auditorium & Host Hotel: Airport Hilton Miami Tickets will be available through the Miss Florida Pageant & Ticketmaster

2006 Miss Florida Outstanding Teen Pageant (July 7-8) Public Dates Miami-Dade County Auditorium & Host Hotel: Airport Hilton Miami Tickets will be available through the Miss Florida Pageant & Ticketmaster

SPONSORS & PATRONS: We are currently seeking sponsors and patrons of the Miss Florida Pageant. If anyone is interested in becoming a sponsor or patron, please contact: Mary@missflorida.org or mamakit777@aol.com.

2006 PRINCESSES: Applications are being accepted for 2006 Princesses. Anyone interested please contact medewitt@earthlink.net

With warmest wishes,
Mary E. Sullivan
Executive Director
Miss Florida Scholarship Pageant, Inc.

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January 27, 2006

Miss Florida Mari Wilensky Top Ten at Miss America
Congratulations to Mari Wilensky on her spectacular showing during the 2006 Miss America Pageant. Mari was a strong competitor in all areas of competition and our only regret is that her talent was not presented again on the Final Night. January was a very busy month! Immediately following the holidays, Mari returned to South Florida where had many fittings, fitness workouts, and fine tuning of her overall presentation. She left for Los Angeles on January 8, 2006 where she and 51 other contestants spent five days before arriving in Las Vegas. Once in Vegas, the contestants were paired with their roommates at the Aladdin Hotel – (Mari’s roommate was Jennifer Berry, Miss Oklahoma and now Miss America). We arrived in Las Vegas on Monday, January 16, and were able to take Mari to dinner that evening – right after her tanning session. Mari’s family joined us later at P.F. Chang’s where she was able to spend time with us before beginning the competition. Mari’s first competition on Tuesday was On-Stage Question. She did a magnificent job, was articulate and personable, and looked dynamite in her gold “party dress”. Wednesday’s competition for Mari was Swimsuit & Evening Wear. Again, a flawless performance in both! Thursday brought Talent Competition for Mari. Her vocal performance of Bridge Over Troubled Water was outstanding and I just wish everyone back home could have enjoyed it as we did. Mari’s Interview was in the afternoon on Friday and that evening, a party of over 100 supporters was held at Cheeseburgers in the Mall attached to the Aladdin Hotel. It was another time for everyone to get to see Mari away from the Pageant Visitation. A surprise visit by Miss America 2004 Ericka Dunlap gave Mari that special boost to get ready for the Final Night Competition. The week actually flew by and the Final Night came too quickly! The calling of the Top Ten was somewhat stressful since Mari was called in 10th place. Cheers rang loudly when her name was called. Mari was an incredible representative for the Miss Florida Pageant, our state and herself in all phases of competition. I hope all of our Miss Florida family has an opportunity to spend some time with Mari during the upcoming months. While we would have loved for her to be Miss America, we are extremely proud of her accomplishments and many achievements, both on and off the stage. Thank you Mari for making Florida shine!


January 1, 2006
May the Magic of the Season be present with each of you and your loved ones throughout the New Year.

Updates:
The past few weeks have been hectic ones in preparation for the upcoming Miss America Pageant, January 17-21, 2006. We are ready to begin the packing process and then, on January 9, 2006, Mari will leave for Los Angeles. The contestants will have a busy schedule in LA and prior to arriving in Las Vegas on January 14, 2006. While in LA they will attend the Jay Leno Show, the Television Association Conference & Party, autograph sessions & fund raising events.

The contestants will travel to Las Vegas where they will participate in an Arrival Ceremony (open to the public) at the Aladdin Hotel on Saturday, January 14, 2006. On Sunday, they will attend an event at the Fashion Show Mall which will also be Open to the Public.

Mari's roommate while at Miss America is Jennifer Berry, Miss Oklahoma.

We have a large Florida delegation (approximately 120) that will be attending in support of Mari! Thanks to all of you that are able to make the trip to Las Vegas. In addition to our local directors, we also have several of our pageant's contestants and sponsors that are also attending. Most of the Miss Florida Board of Directors are going so there will be a loud & lively cheering section for Miss Florida!

Mari's Competition Order:
Mari's Competition Group is Sigma. She will compete as follows: Tuesday - On Stage Question Wednesday - Swimwear/Evening Wear Thursday - Talent Friday (PM) Interview

She is singing Bridge Over Troubled Water for her Talent and is excited about the arrangement and performing it on the Miss America stage! She will be wearing a Stephen Yearick design for Talent.

The Swimsuits again this year are by Speedo! Mari has been extremely dedicated in her preparation for the physical fitness portion of the pageant.

Her Opening Number Cocktail dress (and On Stage Question dress) is by Juan Carlos Pinera. It fabulous!

Mari has been diligent in her Interview preparation having several Mock Interviews, working with a Speech & Communications Expert, and keeping up to date with daily happenings, etc.

APPEARANCES:
Mari's appearance schedule has been trimmed down for the month of December, however, she has made several appearances which she will report on in her website letter.

PAGEANT TIME:
Now that the Holidays are almost to an end, we must turn our focus to the Preliminary Season, which will once again be in full swing January 2006. Several pageants, Miss Florida Crown, Miss North Florida, Miss Kumquat Festival, Miss Orange Blossom, Miss South Florida Fair will be January happenings. Please support these locals with your attendance if possible.

Have a Safe & Healthy New Year.

Fondly,
Mary Sullivan
Executive Director
Miss Florida Scholarship Pageant, Inc.

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November 27, 2005
It’s Official! The Miss America Pageant will be held in Las Vegas at the Aladdin Hotel, January 17-21, 2006. The 2006 titleholders will fly to Las Angeles for several days prior to their arrival in Vegas. We recently participated in the Contestant Placement Lottery to learn Mari’s Competition Group. Miss Florida’s line up is:

Tuesday, January 17, 2006 – First Night Preliminary – On-Stage Question Wednesday, January 18, 2006 – Second Night Preliminary – Evening Wear & Swimsuit Thursday, January 19, 2006 – Third Night Preliminary - Talent Friday, January 20, 2006 – Afternoon – Private Interview Saturday, January 21, 2006 – FINALS & CROWNING OF MISS AMERICA 2006

Anyone that is planning to attend the 2006 Miss America Pageant should contact me immediately if they are interested in tickets, hotel rooms, or badges. The e mail for contact is mary@missflorida.org. We must turn in our room requests by November 27, 2005; ticket requests by December 9, 2005, and badge orders by December 21, 2005.

November has been a busy month! Four new titleholders were crowned for 2006 and we congratulate Miss Ocala/Marion County, Miss Silver Springs, Miss Sunstate, and Miss Dade City as they begin their journey to the Miss Florida/America Pageant. They join previously crowned October titleholders, Miss North Florida Fair and Miss Tallahassee.

The Franchise Meeting & Judging Workshop, held on November 5, 2005 at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, was highly successful. On November 6, 2005, at high noon, over 200 guests attended the Official Crowning of Miss Florida 2005 Mari Wilensky. Kendall Jolly & Jennifer Sauder Mullowney provided the entertainment; Shauna Pender, Miss Florida 2003, and Sierra Minott, Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen 2005, officially crowned Mari as Miss Florida. Special Guest Charlie Dunn of Pageantry Magazine addressed the audience as did Mari’s father, Dan Wilensky and Jeff Parker, long time friend. Mari spoke about the fast paced schedule she has kept as Miss Florida and ended with a moving performance of “At Last”. The event was co-sponsored by the Miss Florida Board of Directors, Cathy & Dan Wilensky, Jeff Parker, Kitty Potapow & Shannon Rees. We are grateful to everyone that attended the Crowning Ceremony to show their support for Mari.

Mari has been busy with her Miss America preparation working on platform & interview, physical fitness, wardrobe, talent, and more! We recently returned from a trip to New York City where we enjoyed several days of shopping, and more shopping!

We hope that you enjoyed a richly blessed Thanksgiving Day. We all have much to be thankful for-- so many in our country have had to overcome adversity through the many recent natural disasters. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this holiday season.

May you find beauty in this special time of year! Mary E. Sullivan, Executive Director Miss Florida Scholarship Pageant, Inc.

October 30, 2005
This past week has been a difficult one for all of us located in South Florida. One week ago we were prepared, to the best of our abilities, to receive Hurricane Wilma. Since each storm is different, one really never knows what to expect and such was the story with Wilma. From the Keys to the West Coast to South Florida, Wilma traveled quickly. Upon arrival in South Florida, while we thought we were prepared, we were not ready for the vengeance of this storm. A week later, power is still a dream for many.

The Hilton Miami Airport has been our home away from home for the past few days and we are blessed to have received such kind hospitality from the entire Hilton staff. We are grateful to all that made us feel so welcome.

From the Keys to West Palm Beach to Fort Myers & Naples, many lives have been affected by Wilma. Please know that our hearts, thoughts and prayers are with everyone during this difficult time.

Weathering storms is nothing new for the Miss Florida Board and we are excited to look ahead, to next weekend – November 5 & 6, 2006 is our Judging Workshop, Franchise Meetings, and Miss Florida’s crowning luncheon. It will be great to see familiar faces, and hopefully, many new ones also as we watch Mari’s lifetime dream come true!

Miss Florida, Mari Wilensky, has had a full and exciting schedule beyond all expectations during the past four weeks. She has displayed amazing energy and enthusiasm for the job of Miss Florida and we are all enjoying her incredible success! Please take time to read Mari’s journal on our website – it is an overview of her recent appearances. The Miss America Organization has announced that the pageant’s final night will be televised by CMT on January 21, 2006. The Preliminary Nights are January 17-19, 2006. Once the venue has been announced, we will promptly post the location on our website.

May you enjoy the Halloween Holiday, and the upcoming weeks as we look to the pageant season, holidays, and the Miss America Pageant!

Warmest wishes, Mary E. Sullivan
Executive Director
Miss Florida Scholarship Pageant, Inc.

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September 6, 2005
Miss America 2006
Preliminary dates January 17-19, 2006
Finals January 21, 2006

Changes this year:
There will be no Casual Wear Competition at the Miss America Pageant There will be no Quiz Show Competition at the Miss America Pageant Top 5 will compete in Talent at the Miss America Pageant On Stage Question will remain as a competition at the Miss America Pageant There has been much speculation as to the Venue - and most of the speculation has been that it is Las Vegas. Please note: We have not received an official announcement from the Miss America Organization as to the Venue site to date. I also do not have, to date, any information on tickets or badges. Once this information is received, I will immediately pass it on to each of you.

Mari is going to Nashville: 
Mari and I were supposed to leave Sunday, 10/23. from Miami to Nashville, but with Wilma threatening to also visit Miami that day, we had an immediate change of plans. Mari and Business Manager Jennifer Herrington will be flying to Nashville on Sunday from Jacksonville for an exciting visit to CMT.

Mari's schedule includes:
CMT Interview & Press time CMT Photo Shoot CMT Radio Interview Dinner with CMT staff & talent Publicity Event with CMT talent - Hosts Eddie & Stuntboy Justin CMT Publicity - Reading at a local Nashville Elementary School CMT On Air Promo

All this happens in 24 hours! Talk about a busy schedule! We'll hear all about it when she returns and also at her Crowning Ceremony.

We hope you will be able to join us on Sunday, November 6, 2005, for the Official Crowning Luncheon of Miss Florida 2005. Please do not forget to RSVP. Since it is a sponsored Luncheon attendance is by invitation only and we won't be able to accept last minute RSVP's. The deadline to RSVP is November 1, 2005.

Our thoughts are with all of you in your respective homes as we wait for Wilma to decide where she is going to land. May you each be safe!

Fondly,
Mary E. Sullivan

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September 13, 2005
I am enclosing an e mail that was received today, September 12, 2005, from the Miss Jacksonville/Miss First Coast Pageants.

A Statement from the Jacksonville / First Coast Pageants:

We would just like to say "Thank You" to all that have expressed their concerns for Candace Cragg, our former Miss Jacksonville 2005. She did a wonderful job at the Miss Florida Pageant, capturing the title of Miss Florida 2005.

All of us had high hopes for Candace at the Miss America Pageant. Candace's reign of roughly sixty days was an exciting time, but SHE decided, (NO ONE ELSE), after much reflection and thought, that her life's path was taking her a different direction both personally and professionally. It was a difficult decision for her, but she showed much character and strength, and further much consideration to the Miss Florida Pageant and to the next titleholder, Mari Wilensky, by making a quick decision to resign as soon as she realized her goals and dreams had changed. This allowed enough time for a comfortable transition. We respect the way Candace handled this situation.

No one could have realized the firestorm a simple resignation could set off. The rude comments, the "off-color" speculation, the outrageous accusations against Candace and the Miss Florida Board are just a waste of time, energy and emotion. It is clear that some people must have little to do but to sit around and speculate on the unknown and the unchangeable. The Miss Jacksonville / First Coast

Pageants have nothing but praise and admiration for the way the Miss Florida Board has handled these circumstances while being the undue and unjustified victim of most of the blame.

The bottom line is that this was Candace's personal decision. Should she choose at some point in the future to share her thought processes, it would be her choice again to do so, not anyone else's. It is her life to lead, and we ask that she be allowed to lead it in her own way. Shame on anyone who believes any different. We would suggest that everyone support her in her decision and move on without

question as the Miss Jacksonville / First Coast Pageants have. We respect Candace's privacy and encourage everyone else to do the same.

The Miss Florida Family should now turn its focus to supporting Mari Wilensky as Miss Florida 2005 (our Miss Jacksonville Teen 2001) and help her prepare for the Miss America Pageant and to bring that National title back to Florida. Mari is a wonderful young lady and we at the Miss Jacksonville / First Coast Pageants cannot say enough good things about her. We believe in her and look for great things from her as Miss Florida 2005 and in representing the Miss Florida Pageant at Miss America in January 2006.

GOOD LUCK MARI !!!!!!!

*************************************************************************

We thank Kevin & Cammie Sanders, and Jennifer Herrington for their written statement and continued dedication to the Miss Florida Program.

We hope that our local directors and pageant committees will join the Miss Florida Pageant's Board of Directors in fully supporting not only our state wide program, but also our Miss Florida 2005, Mari Wilensky. This is going to be a great year!

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September 6, 2005
It is with deep regret that we accept the resignation of Miss Florida Candace Cragg that became effective September 4, 2005. The Miss Florida Organization gratefully thanks Candace for her contributions during her time as Miss Florida and takes this opportunity to wish her every happiness in the future.

We are pleased to announce that Mari Wilensky, Miss University of Florida and first runner up at the 2005 State Pageant has accepted the title of Miss Florida 2005. Mari will step in to a busy appearance schedule and actively begin preparation to compete for Miss America 2006.

An official announcement will be made soon as to the date of the Fall Workshop. During the Workshop weekend, the Miss Florida Board will host a Reception to celebrate Mari as Miss Florida 2005. An invitation will be sent to our local executive directors, 2005-06 titleholders, sponsors and friends of the Miss Florida Organization to join us in honoring Mari as our Miss Florida.

We look forward to our 2005-2006 Pageant Season and to seeing everyone during the year.

With all best wishes,
Mary Sullivan
President/Executive Director
Miss Florida Scholarship Pageant, Inc.

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July 25, 2005

The finals of the 70th Annual Miss Florida Pageant were held on July 2, 2005, at the Miami-Dade County Auditorium. A lively show to “Steppin’ Out with Miss Florida” set the stage for the 43 contestants to compete for the title of Miss Florida 2005. The Pageant was made possible through the combined efforts of many – the Miss Florida Board of Directors; sponsors & patrons; local pageant executive directors; parents & friends.

We gratefully acknowledge the efforts of our volunteers – those individuals that never stop giving whether it is their time, their generosity, their knowledge. The Miss Florida contestants are affected both materially and positively by the kindness and generosity of the pageant’s volunteers, sponsors, and patrons.

We are sincerely appreciative for the talents of our Production Team – Wayne Gentry & Company, Producer; Shea Sullivan, Choreographer; the Miss Florida Dancers & Performers; our emcee Galen Kovash and the former Miss Florida team that accompanied him – Dana Dalton Judge; Lissette Gonzalez; Shauna Pender; Katherine Carson Molnar. Thank you for providing entertainment that was far more than we could have anticipated – yet, the perfect backdrop and setting for Miss Florida 2004, Jenna Edwards and our 43 contestants for Miss Florida 2005.

We are much obliged to the judging panel for giving a week of their time, away from their families, jobs and personal obligations to adjudicate our pageant. McNeil Chestnut, Kevin McAleese, Ned Metcalf, Cindy Morrison, and Betsy Bobel Opyt – thank you for bringing your knowledge and expertise to the Miss Florida Pageant.

Miss Florida 2004, Jenna Edwards, bid a fond farewell as she closed this chapter of her life. Thank you for representing the State of Florida with such class and style. We will watch with pride as you continue to walk the stairway to success.

To our newest member of the Miss Florida Family, Candace Cragg – Miss Florida 2005 – we are excited to begin our journey with you. Please accept the congratulations of all of us and know that we are committed to helping you have the best year of your life!

Our best wishes are extended to all of the titleholders that competed in this year’s pageant. We are in awe of all that you have accomplished, and will continue to watch as each of you pave the way for tomorrow’s future. Our hope is that we see each of you again soon!

In closing, please know that the support that we receive from our pageant family is vital to the success of our organization. It is all of us that contribute to building a solid program that benefits the young women of Florida. Our Cash Scholarships totaled $60,000 this year – next year let’s go for $75,000. We must think big, dream big, and it can happen. Nothing can stop us now!

With every best wish,

Mary E. Sullivan, Executive Director
Miss Florida Scholarship Pageant, Inc.
 

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May 29, 2005

Steppin’ Out to the Miss Florida Pageant
In one month, the 70^th annual Miss Florida Pageant will be held in Miami.  43 young women, representing cities and communities from throughout the state, will compete for the title of Miss Florida 2005.  The pageant’s Preliminaries will be held on June 29-July 1, 2005 at the Miami Dade County Auditorium.  On Saturday, July 2, 2005, Miss Florida 2005 will be crowned.

The contestants will be Steppin’ Out to a Florida Marlins Game, the Miami Metro Zoo, South Beach, the historic Biltmore Hotel.  They will participate in Service Day – a day dedicated to Queen For a Day, the 501-C3 non profit organization headed by Jenna Edwards, Miss Florida 2004. 

Miss Florida 2004 Jenna Edwards has been an outstanding representative for the Sunshine State.  She sang the National Anthem on nationwide television during race week at the Daytona 500; she was an invited guest at the Presidential Inauguration; she participated in local parades, signed autographs for hundreds, emceed local pageants and the Miss Florida Outstanding Teen Pageant, visited our country’s disabled vets, was a special guest at the Indianapolis 500, spoke with our school age children, participated in numerous charity functions – and much more.   Her schedule was a busy one and she always wanted it to be busier. In addition, Jenna Edwards has pursued a modeling career and headed up her non-profit company, QFAD.  She has made a profound impact on all of us as Miss Florida 2004.

We invite each of you to “step out” and attend our 70^th annual Pageant this year to watch as Jenna crowns her successor.  Tickets will be available through Ticketmaster on June 1, 2005. This year’s guest hosts will be Galen Kovash with Katherine Carson Molnar, Shauna Pender & Lissette Gonzalez.   The hosts for final night will be Galen, Dana Dalton Judge, and from New York City, Aaron Caruso.  The pageant’s theme, a tribute to our Miss Florida 2004, will combine the era of the 40’s with the present times.   The Miss Florida Dancers, under Choreographer Shea Sullivan & Producer Wayne Gentry, will set the stage for our Miss Florida Contestants.  

We  hope to see you in Miami!

Mary E. Sullivan, Executive Director
Miss Florida Scholarship Pageant, Inc.
 

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April 25, 2005

The Miss Florida Pageant Orientation Weekend was held April 23 & 24 in Lakeland in conjunction with the Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen Pageant.  While it was a busy time for our Board of Directors, it was an exciting time for both our Miss Florida titleholders and our Teen contestants. The Lakeland Center was home to our Orientation, Reception for Miss Florida, and meetings. The Polk Theater was the perfect backdrop for our Teen Pageant.

43 Contestants will compete for the title of Miss Florida 2005 at the Miami-Dade County Auditorium, June 29-July 2, 2005.  Steppin’ Out with Miss Florida will be an exciting show as the 40’s era moves in to our contemporary times.  During the past weekend we had an opportunity to meet our 2005 Miss Florida contestants.  We can’t wait to welcome them to Miami where an exciting week of appearances and competition awaits them. 

The 2^nd annual Teen Pageant was held as a fund raiser for the Miss Florida Scholarship Pageant.  It was highly successful as a fantastic group of 26 Teens competed for the title of Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen and the opportunity to represent the state at the National Pageant in August.  Sierra Minott, Miss Southwest Florida’s Outstanding Teen was crowned by Ashton Kunkle, Florida’s Teen 2004. The show, Feel the Beat, was emceed by Ashton & Miss Florida 2004 Jenna Edwards, produced by Jay Curtis & Richard Walker and choreographed by Shea Sullivan.  After having only several hours of rehearsal, it was a lively, upbeat and smooth show that seemed to be very popular with the contestants and audience.

An announcement was made that the new Teen directors for Florida are Keith Smith & Marc Caglia, formerly directors of the Miss City Beautiful Pageant.  They will be initially joined by Kendal Jolly, Tom Boyko & Jennie Sauder Mullowney and will be adding new board members in the upcoming months.  The Miss Florida Scholarship Pageant Inc. Board of Directors will work closely with Keith & Marc to promote our Teen Pageant in Florida.  Rob Loy & Shannon Rees have done an exceptional job the past two years with our Teen Pageant in addition to their roles with the Miss Florida Pageant Board of Directors. Their tireless dedication to the program has produced two very successful pageants and we are all excited about the direction that the Teen Pageant will continue to take in Florida!

Miss Florida Jenna Edwards had a busy weekend.  She emceed the 2 night Teen Pageant, greeted our Miss Florida contestants as they registered, spoke during the afternoon Orientation, and hosted & performed during the Reception for Miss Florida which took place immediately following the Teen Pageant.  Jenna paid tribute to many individuals that have provided love and support for her during this past year.

We offer our special thanks to everyone that attended and supported the Miss Florida Pageant at our Teen Pageant, Reception and Silent Auction.  We look forward to seeing everyone in Miami for our 2005 Miss Florida Pageant!

Warmest wishes to all!

Mary Sullivan, Executive Director
 

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March 2, 2005

Congratulations to all of the newly crowned titleholders!  We continue to see an impressive mix of titleholders being crowned that are new to the Miss Florida system and those that are returnees.  Best of luck to Miss Miami/South Florida Coast and Miss Apopka Pageants as they add three more competitors for the title of Miss Florida 2005!

Information regarding advertising in the Miss Florida Program Book has been mailed to the local executive director and the titleholder.  Additionally the information for Orientation Weekend has been mailed -- only to the local executive director.  Please coordinate this weekend with your titleholder and her  family.  Reminder:  Attendance at Orientation Weekend is mandatory for all titleholders and the local executive director or an appointed representative.

 

The next mailing will contain a checklist for all forms that are to be turned in Orientation Weekend and a complete copy of the forms, as well as some information from the Miss America Organization on available scholarships.

 

SCORING CHANGES

 

Many of you have inquired as to whether or not there are official scoring changes that will take place this year at the Miss Florida Pageant.  Effective for the 2005 State Pageant, the following changes will be in effect: 

 

Private Interview                        25%

On-stage Question                       5%

Talent                                      35%

Evening Wear                            15%

Casual Wear                             10%

Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit   10%

Total                                       100%

 

We will present additional information and a Complete overview of the Scoring to our local executive directors at the Franchise Meeting, April 24, 2005.

 

PHOTOGRAPHS:

 

We request that our local executive directors impress upon their titleholder the importance of a good quality photo for reproduction in the program book and judge's book.  Photographs must be turned in at the Contestant's Registration, April 23, 2005, Orientation Weekend.

 

Teen Pageant

 

If you have a Teen Pageant or are sponsoring a Teen Contestant in the State Pageant, please make certain that all paperwork, photographs, entry fees, etc., are sent to Rob Loy within the specified deadlines. Some have inquired as to whether or not they could send additional representatives and we want to be fair and equitable to each pageant.  Thank you for helping us to have a successful Teen event!

 

Princess Program

 

Thanks to those titleholders and local directors that have forwarded the Sunshine Princess information.  We are looking for 100% participation.  The Sunshine Princess (es) will be onstage during Evening Wear competition and also will be featured in our final night show. 

 

If for any reason you are receiving this e mail and did not receive the packet about Orientation weekend that included the schedule of events, information about the Reception and Teen Pageant, etc., please let me know.  Those packets were sent out over a week ago and should have reached each director by this time.  The ad information went out a few days ago and if you don't have it by the beginning of next week, please let me know.

 

Have a wonderful & safe weekend!

 

 Mary E. Sullivan, Executive Director

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February 9, 2005
To our Local Executive Directors, Contestants, Families & Friends:

We are at the halfway mark in our local pageants for the 2005-staging year.  Congratulations to all that have crowned new titleholders, and continued best wishes to those that have pageants in the upcoming months.

The next few months will be busy with our local preliminaries, Orientation weekend, the Teen Pageant, and in June, our state finals. I would like to thank the Local Executive Directors for their cooperation in timely submitting the paperwork following their local pageants and in helping us to keep our website updated and current! As you can see, our website is constantly changing and improving to bring you all the latest information.

I want to welcome our newly crowned titleholders.  To date, we have an impressive mix of newcomers and returning contestants that will compete for Miss Florida 2005.  Once the local titleholder is crowned, please remind her to select a Sunshine Princess or Princesses.  The Princess program will be most successful if we have 100% involvement from our local titleholders.  Remember, not only is this a fundraiser for the Miss Florida Scholarship Pageant but an opportunity for our titleholders to act as mentors to these young ladies.

The final touches are being put on the contestant and local executive director manuals and will be mailed this month.  The manuals will contain all of the necessary information for Orientation Weekend and the State Pageant in June.  As a reminder, the dates are:

Miss Florida Contestants Orientation Weekend, Lakeland
April 23-24, 2005

Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen Pageant, Lakeland
April 22-23, 2005

Miss Florida 2005 State Pageant, Miami - June 26-July 2, 2005
Preliminary Nights: June 29-July 1, 2005
Finals: July 2, 2005

As always, please do not hesitate to contact myself or any member of the Board of Directors with your questions, concerns or comments!  We look forward to seeing you in April at our 2005 Orientation/Teen Pageant!
 

Mary E. Sullivan, Executive Director
 

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November 22, 2004
Miss Florida Pageant finds new home!

 

The Miss Florida Pageant Board of Directors is pleased to announce that the 2005 State Pageant will be held in Miami, June 26-July 3, 2005.  Preliminary competitions will be June 29, 30, July 1.  Finals will be July 2, 2005.

 

The preliminaries and finals will be staged at the Dade County Auditorium and the host hotel for the pageant's contestants, staff, family, friends, local directors and guests will be the Miami Airport Hilton.  We urge you to take a visual tour of this property.  It is conveniently located to many Miami attractions - i.e. 10 minutes to the Theater, 15 minutes to South Beach, downtown, Coconut Grove, Dolphin Mall.  All events not staged in the Dade County Auditorium will be held in the Hilton Hotel.  Additional information concerning the Hilton's rates, schedules, etc., will also be posted on our web site.

 

The pageant's home for the past two years has been in St. Petersburg.  The pageant officials were informed that the pageant would have to relocate for 2005 since the Mahaffey Theater would be closed for renovation.  The City of St. Petersburg extended an invitation to the pageant for a return in 2006.  We then began a search to find a suitable home for the pageant.  We visited and researched venues in Lakeland, Tampa, Orlando, Sarasota, Clearwater, West Palm Beach, Daytona Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

 

It was in Miami that we found a genuine interest to host the pageant, and a desire to work with the Miss Florida Pageant to achieve a successful event. We look forward to hosting the most exciting state pageant in our board's time.

 

Frequent updates to our web site will keep you informed of news concerning the 2005 pageant!  Watch for the upcoming announcement of the 2005 Teen Pageant and Orientation Weekend.

 

At this time of year, we are gently reminded of our many blessings.  We are thankful for the past and have hope for the future.

 

From the Miss Florida Board of Directors, we extend Many Blessings and a Happy Thanksgiving to all.

 

Warmest wishes,

Mary E. Sullivan

Executive Director

Miss Florida Scholarship Pageant Inc.

About the hotel:
 

 

Dear Friends:

 

It was a good day for Florida by all accounts for our Miss Florida 2004 Jenna Edwards and our Sweetheart representative, Shannon Schambeau.

 

Jenna was named as one of 10 Quality of Life Finalists and will now advance to the next step which is the private interview scheduled for Monday, September 6th. It is an impressive group of young women and each will have their personal time to explain the benefits of their platform to others.  Jenna is fully prepared for this level of questioning.

 

Congratulations to Shannon Schambeau who was named Second Runner Up in the National Sweetheart Pageant.  Shannon was also a preliminary swimsuit winner in the competition. 

 

We are extremely proud of both of our representatives and at a time when Florida is experiencing some dark moments from Mother Nature, they are providing the light that we need to boost our spirits!  It's great to be able to share such positive news!

 

Fondly,

Mary Sullivan

Good Evening to all:

 

Jenna and Martha, her traveling companion left today for the first phase of the Miss America journey.  They will be in Washington DC for the next few days on a whirlwind schedule filled with visits to the Nation's Capitol, Veterans & Children's Hospitals, attendance at fund raiser for Children's Miracle Network, wreath ceremony at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and many additional activities.  On Sunday, September 5, 2004, they will depart DC for Atlantic City and the beginning of the Miss America Pageant.

 

Jenna has worked hard and is prepared both mentally and physically for the job ahead.  Her wardrobe is contemporary and bold; she has worked with Chris Arroyo, her vocal coach, for hours to perfect her song, Solitaire; Dr. Roy Langer has demonstrated techniques for use in the Interview Room and onstage; and Jenna has thrived in the time spent with many special individuals as she has prepared for Miss America.  She is our Miss Florida, and no matter the outcome at Miss America, we are fortunate to have such an outstanding representative as our state titleholder!

 

A special thanks to all of you that have sent your words of encouragement and special wishes to Jenna. 

 

I will be providing frequent updates.  If you wish to send cards or messages to Jenna, you can do so at Harrah's Resorts, (address on our website) or to me in care of the Pageant's Headquarters.  I will make sure that she receives them.

 

Visit our website for updates and the most recent letter from Jenna. You could possibly be reading a letter from the next Miss America. We can only hope...................

 

We look forward to seeing everyone in the upcoming months.

 

Fondly,

 

Mary E. Sullivan, Executive Director

Miss Florida Scholarship Pageant, Inc.

6800 Bird Road, #351

Miami, Florida 33155

 

P S:  Good luck to Shannon Schambeau - Florida's representative to the National Sweetheart Pageant.  How exciting it is to have two stellar representatives representing our program this year!