Fashion February and so much more!

Hello Miss Alabama Enthusiasts!

What an exciting time to be Miss Alabama!!! The past few weeks have been as busy as ever and I have been blessed with more wonderful memories, new friends, and precious opportunities to work as an advocate for my state and my platform.

On February 5^th I traveled to Hamilton, Alabama to emcee the Miss Hamilton Pageant. This was my first trip to Hamilton and I was overwhelmed by the culture of hospitality from Hamilton citizens and the volunteers that run the Miss Hamilton program. I am always so inspired by the incredible women who compete in the Miss Alabama Program across this state. It is an honor to represent them and I feel so proud of the caliber of women who are vying for the title of Miss Alabama. Another fun day was spent emceeing the Miss Valentine Pageant, organized by an invaluable sponsor to the Miss Alabama Pageant-Danny Barrett. It is exciting to see young ladies of all ages practicing poise and grace, while being committed to leading a healthy lifestyle. I also emceed the Miss Sylacauga Pageant, saw a dear friend crown the new Miss Walker County, and emceed the last pageant for the preliminary competition season!

I will remember this month as “Fashion February” because of all of the fun fashion shows and photo shoots I participated in this month. On February 16^th, I got to strut the runway for a wonderful mission-The Salvation Army…AND I was so excited about the great recycled clothing I modeled, I bought them for bargain prices! Proceeds from this show support the Salvation Army missions in Birmingham. Later that afternoon, I headed over to the FABULOUS Clothes Tree for a photo shoot! And last but certainly not least, last week was the Annual Gus Meyer MAD HATTER Fashion Show, a fundraiser for Cancer Research. First of all, this show is held atop Red Mountain at “The Club”, a beautiful venue overlooking the Birmingham Skyline. The featured hat designer was the wonderful Christine A. Moore, who created beautiful and unique headwear. I was fortunate to be among the guests at a reception in her honor later that evening at the brand new Gus Meyer department store at The Summit!

This is also an exciting time for the March of Dimes. As the March for Babies approaches, our UAB March for Babies Committee is planning fundraisers, increasing awareness on campus, and recruiting volunteers for the March of Dimes mission. I am excited about the opportunity to return to the Metro Birmingham March for Babies Logistics Team as the Volunteer Coordinator. As the Volunteer Coordinator, I am responsible for over 100 volunteers for the March for Babies, an event that hosts over 1,500 people at UAB’s campus.  Through this work I get to live my platform every day, because I believe in the power of individuals who commit themselves to a cause.

On the 18^th, I took a long overdue visit to the dentist, but let me tell you this was no ordinary visit! I traveled to Decatur to the Miss Alabama sponsor Dr. Stephanie Teichmiller. This was without a doubt the most comprehensive care I have ever received and the most welcoming and comfortable atmosphere. I, like most people, DREAD dentist appointments. In my experience, they were just not very pleasant encounters. BUT, Dr. Teichmiller and her staff have created a spa-like atmosphere where they treat everyone like family. I am so grateful for her support and, believe it or not, cannot wait for my next appointment.

I traveled to Athens, Alabama on February 26^th for the Annual Athens Chili Challenge. My responsibilities included serving as a judge for 32 distinct Chili’s. Now, I did not think it was possible to taste 32 samples and find each one unique, but each chili had a distinct flavor and personality. This was such a special day because in addition to meeting some fabulous people, I visited with the wonderful Sandlin family-who have loved me as one of their own and supported me during every moment of my journey as Miss Alabama.

With just over three months left, I am soaking in every moment as Miss Alabama and trying desperately to make time slow down. This has been just an incredible journey and I am not ready for it to an end. So I will cherish every moment to come and thank God every day for this precious gift!

Your Miss Alabama,

Ashley

The Relevance of the March of Dimes for THIS Generation!

Greetings!
As the 2011 March for Babies approaches and organizations and businesses gear up their fundraising efforts, I feel compelled to share the Mission of the March of Dimes, the impact this organization has had on my life, and  its relevance to all generations.

Let me begin by describing two opposing scenes. My role as Miss Alabama has afforded me the wonderful opportunity to speak to a wide variety of groups. When I visit with groups from my parents' or grandparents' generations and I ask the question, "Who knows what the March of Dimes does?", every hand in the room goes up.

Now, when I speak to college and high school groups and ask the same question, only a fraction of hands go up. While this is disheartening, I take it as a challenge-a challenge to educate my peers and to involve them with this irreplaceable organization. This generation contains the future organizers, leaders, and catalysts for compassion, so I work to engage my peers with the March of Dimes.

In today's society, the March of Dimes works to prevent premature birth, birth defects, and infant mortality. The organization began over seven decades ago when FDR organized the National Foundation For Infantile Paralysis, an effort to eradicate polio. After Dr. Salk's discovery of a polio vaccine, funded and supported by FDR's foundation, and the polio epidemic was defeated, then the organization reorganized and re-purposed. In 1958 the March of Dimes became an advocate for healthy pregnancies and babies.

On Christmas Eve 1988, I was born nearly one month premature. My lungs were not fully developed and I struggled with pneumonia. For over three weeks, my parents spent every waking moment worried about the unknown. That fear and anxiety continued until they took me home. But my story has a happy ending. My family was blessed and my story had a happy ending, but that is not the case for every family.

The significance of the March of Dimes took on a whole new meaning for me after a visit to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the UAB Women and Infants Center. I met several families with stories like mine, but they were still staring down a long road of trials and challenges. We I saw a three month old little boy who was smaller than a newborn and had already overcome all odds and was still fighting like a champ. The March of Dimes works to ensure that stories like mine and stories like his become part of society's past, not our future.

The March of Dimes advocates on behalf of families through research, advocacy, and education, with the principle mission of "helping moms have full term pregnancies." They fund research, they organize education programs for expecting mothers, they provide informational materials for health professionals, and much much more. The March of Dimes touches so many lives and will continue to touch lives as long as we educate the volunteer force of the future about this important mission.

The important thing to remember is that every hour, every dollar, and every volunteer is a vital part of this effort. There are no insignificant contributions. Volunteers are what power the March of Dimes-the people who give of themselves during their time off and without any expectation of reciprocity.

You can volunteer in many ways and with varying levels of time commitment, just volunteer! Visit http://www.marchofdimes.com/ or http://www.marchforbabies.org/ to find out to get involved with your local March of Dimes.

See you at the March!
Ashley

Photo Courtesy of http://www.marchforbabies.com/

Kicking off 2011 with a BANG!

Greetings!

Life is back in full force since my return from Miss America! It is so exciting to pick up right where we left off before Las Vegas because I am still afforded the opportunity to meet amazing people and see amazing places.

I kicked off my remaining time as Miss Alabama with a bang, starting with three appearances in three different cities in 36 hours! I traveled to Wadley, Alabama on a Thursday afternoon to appear at the Miss Southern Union Pageant! During my first year at Miss Alabama, my roommate during pageant week was Kristina Goodwin, Miss Southern Union. Kristina and I hit it off from the first moment. I knew if Kristina’s wonderful personality was any indicator of the people from Southern Union College, I was going to have a blast-and I did! The individuals who power and support the Miss Southern Union College not only mentor and believe in the lucky young lady who gets to be Miss Southern Union, but also every individual who enters the pageant! In addition to being part of an awesome evening and a great show, I got to spend time with the incredible Jamie Langley, Miss Alabama 2007. Part of being Miss Alabama is learning about the history of this organization and the women who came before you through the words of the individuals whose lives were touched by them. Jamie touched so many lives and served this state with a wonderful energy and sense of service and I was just so excited to spend the evening with her.

We departed Wadley and made our way down 431 to my hometown Dothan; I was asked to speak to approximately 400 high school girls at the Annual Girls Youth Career Summit at Wallace Community College the following morning. I have told many individuals that I get the most nervous when I talk to high school students, first because I often still think of myself as 16-years-old and second because they are facing a time with a great deal of challenges and decisions. I felt so fortunate to talk to these young ladies about how to navigate the world they live in and how to be successful.

From Dothan we headed to Auburn for the Miss Auburn University Pageant.  The Miss Auburn University Pageant has a wonderful tradition of putting on a fantastic show and this year was no exception. It was so exciting to emcee such a neat show featuring 23 wonderful contestants, Rebecca Hart, Miss AU 2010, the AU Tiger Paws, the AU Show Choir, and AUBIE! I loved experiencing how engaged the Auburn students were with the show and the hospitality shown by the pageant staff. After a whirlwind trip, I returned to Birmingham, so grateful for the experiences and memories I am given every day.

Yesterday, I spent the day with some amazing people! I spent the earlier part of Friday with dear friends from The Clothes Tree in Birmingham. Deborah, the store owner, sponsored the Annual Heart Guild Fashion Show at Fleming’s Restaurant in Birmingham. Not only did I get to wear beautiful clothes, but I got to spend time with a group of friends that I will cherish forever. We had such a good time catching up over lunch-laughing and truly being grateful for each other.

Yesterday evening, I was honored to sing the National Anthem at the Annual Leeds Chamber of Commerce Banquet, where I sang Our National Anthem. The keynote address was given by the Honorable Governor Robert Bentley. It was a unique opportunity to hear our Governor speak about the future of our home during this defining moment in our history. Also, the City of Leeds is a wonderful model for the type of close-knit community that shapes a citizen’s character.

I hope everyone has a wonderful, safe weekend! I’ll catch up with you all again soon!

With Love,

Ashley