Author:
Jenna Edwards, Miss Florida 2004 (MAO)
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Date Posted: 21:00:56 10/22/04 Fri
I am writing to solicit tiara donations for Queen for a Day and the pageant community has always been supportive. The good news is we are growing rapidly with new chapters all over the country and our current chapters are increasing activity with more parties. The bad news is we are not bringing in enough tiaras to support the demand. I am making a plea to anyone with extra crowns to please donate them to Queen for a Day. Even MAO titleholders can send their extra local prelim crowns to us. For instance, I only have 2 prelim crowns. I'm keeping one for a keepsake and I'm donating the other to QFAD. We are in desperate need of tiaras so any help, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is greatly appreciated.
Queen for a Day is a 501C3 non-profit organization for seriously and terminally ill pediatric patients. So many times, illness hurts a patient psychologically more than physically. Children forget to be kids and resort to the isolation the disease offers as the alternative. When QFAD comes to the hospital, we give the patients a reason to be a kid again. We host tea parties for girls to be pampered with makeovers, manicures, and their very own coronation ceremony. Each patient receives a real tiara donated by queens across the nation! When a child looks in the mirror after her makeover and smiles, she has pushed down her illness. When they giggle and prance around the room wearing tiaras on bald heads, they beat down their illness. The Queen for a Day crown symbolizes victory as they are champions over their illness.
At our events, bald cancer patients come in with pale skin and apprehensive expressions. By the time they leave, they have smiling bright red lips, blushing cheeks, energy in their step and a crown donning their hairless head. They walk in clutching their IV pole. They walk away with their shoulders thrown back and their head held high, leaving the nurses to handle the IV pole.
For the boys, we encourage the qualities of bravery and courage through the Heroes program based on firefighters and police officers. We invite local heroes to attend the event to tell heroic stories and develop a friendship with the patients. Patients receive firefighter hats, badges, and other hero-themed gifts.
For four years, QFAD has operated and developed into 33 chapters in the U.S. and 8 in South Africa. We have been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show twice and in People Magazine. Oprah’s Angel Network donated $10,000 in supplies in April 2001. Companies such as Ford Motor Company, the Miss America Organization, Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, Tony and Tina cosmetics, and Clinique cosmetics have supported QFAD as well.
Visit our website at www.qfad.org for information. Thank you so much!
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