VoyForums
[ Show ]
Support VoyForums
[ Shrink ]
VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, [3] ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 00:10:15 11/11/06 Sat
Author: TJ
Subject: Miss Illinois News


Heidi Ekstrom, Miss Illinois 2006, uses her pink H3 Hummer to tour the state. She was in McDonough County this week to speak at area schools.

Miss Illinois takes message to classrooms
By Hilary Simmons/Journal Staff Writer
Published: Friday, November 10, 2006 10:51 AM CST


MACOMB - The sparkling pink H3 Hummer seen driving around the area Tuesday and Wednesday belongs to Heidi Ekstrom, Miss Illinois 2006. The vehicle was donated by Woodfield Hummer for Ekstrom's use during her reign. However, the perks of being the title holder aren't merely material.

Ekstrom has been touring the state visiting schools and speaking at special events about her platform, enriching the lives of children with disabilities, and as a spokesperson for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and an honorary member of the Best Buddies Illinois Junior Advisory Board. She has a deeply rooted interest in utilizing her platform to its greatest extent. Ekstrom has two sisters with disabilities, one who passed away at age 6 from congenital heart disease, and has seen the difficulties and challenges they face. During her speeches she emphasizes acceptance and respect to try and eradicate the bullying of children with disabilities. Ekstrom spoke at West Prairie, LaHarpe and Macomb schools during her two-day visit about her Character Counts Coalition.

"Character Counts encompasses six powers of character; trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. These powers go into making good decisions," Ekstrom explained. She also is speaking out on how peer pressure can influence students' abilities to make the right decisions in their lives due to a grant from the Right Decisions Right Now program.


Her travels are also expanding her horizons. "My family has been lucky enough not be effected by drunk driving, but my work with the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists has really opened my eyes. Some of the stories are so inspirational," she said.

Ekstrom is hard at work preparing for the 2007 Miss America Pageant on Jan. 25 in Las Vegas. She has been juggling her speaking and appearance schedule with trying to prepare herself and practice for the big night. The high level of commitment that was required of her to compete in the Miss Illinois Pageant while in school has helped her retain her focus for the upcoming pageant. "It's been a lot of ups and downs, but it's worth it," Ekstrom explained.

"After the Miss America pageant, I want to work more with Best Buddies and implement it into more schools," she said. Ekstrom, who graduated from Columbia College in Chicago last December with bachelor of arts degree in photography, also will be returning to school next year. She plans to attend Northern Illinois University to work on her master's degree.

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

[ Contact Forum Admin ]

Forum timezone: GMT-8
VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.