CMN at Costco

CMN Day at Costco 

Great friends + CMN Day at Costco = perfection! Since the Miss NY pageant made its way to Staten Island back in 2011 Costco has always been a great supporter and sponsor. Not only do they provide contestants with delicious treats during pageant week, but they have so generously supported Children's Miracle Network Hospitals; the national platform of the Miss America Organization. This great partnership lead to a day filled with laughs, crowns and yes . . . loooots of cake (nom nom nom).  But needless to say best part of the experience was the fact they we were able to raise over $1,000.00 for the organization! Thank you to Costco for your dedication to the community and for helping to make a difference in the lives of CMN kiddies!

Crowns take over Costco for CMN!

 

 

Toodles!
Christina

From TV to Rescue to Ladies Night Out!

From TV to Rescue to Ladies Night Out 

 . . . a May day adventure  

 

Well if this day didn't prepare me for Miss NY I'm not sure what will.  I was up at the wonderful hour of 5:30am, managed to do hair and makeup half asleep and made my way to Manhattan without nodding off on the train (miracle). I arrived at the Smith Restaurant where Miss Greater Gotham, Katie Berry, Miss Brooklyn, Stephanie Accardo, myself and 2 special guests were invited to take part in the taping of a little TV show ;). Yes, that is all the info I can divulge as of now, but eventually I will fill you in on more details. Just know it was a memorable morning, spent with old friends (and new friends). Following the taping I headed to midtown to finish out my work day at MTV. 

Miss Greater Gotham, Katie Berry, Miss Brooklyn, Stephanie Accardo & myself AKA the Nugget Squad!

After work I jumped on the train and headed back to Brooklyn to St. Francis College for the Brooklyn Film Festival where I met up with my beautiful friend Miss Staten Island 2013, Amanda Alicea. There we caught up with our fierce-fab trainer and friend Ellen Stein to support the premiere of RESCUE BROOKLYN! "RESCUE! BROOKLYN is a documentary film about SEAN CASEY ANIMAL RESCUE and their integral connection with the Borough of Brooklyn and New York City as a whole. Sean's "community first" approach toward how he runs his shelter and how he interacts within the neighborhoods of Brooklyn and the New York City area, are what make SCAR not only unique, but also the success that it is. Success is measured by impact and not dollars, and SCAR is very successful. While Sean is well known in the New York area, what he is doing should be the model for No Kill shelters all over the country. I hope this documentary will inspire others to take up the fight and do what Sean is doing in their own communities.  It is the brainchild of Brooklyn based filmmaker Charlie Spickler, who is not just a filmmaker, but a pet owner who has adopted from Sean Casey." 

Sean's compassion for every living creature is one to be admired. Take a moment and get a glimpse into the wonderful work he does for the community.

At Rescue Brooklyn with Sean Casey, the always fierce Ellen Stein and my beautiful friend Miss Staten Island, Amanda Alicea

At the end of the documentary I scurried out of St. Francis and headed to Bay Ridge Brooklyn for my last stop of the day, Ladies Night Out, hosted by a dear family friend Pat Bruno.  It was there that I met La Vern Coffey of La Vern Coffey Designs who designs beautiful and fashion forward scarves.  The great thing about them? They can be worn a ton of different ways and are the perfect accessory to any outfit! Excited to rock mine at Miss NY in July :) 

Ladies Night Out Event 

After the longest day ever, my head finally hit the pillow at 12am! Oh boy, what an adventure!

Until next time
~Christina :) 

Pee Wee's Dance Crew

Pee Wee's Dance Crew 

Sponsored by Elite Dance Complex 

I am thrilled to have the unique opportunity to coach the first ever Pee Wee's Dance Crew; the official junior dance team of the Brooklyn Cyclones.  For several months I have been preparing for the upcoming season, planning everything from music choices, to uniforms, to practice schedules and can now put everything into play because we have our official team!

Audition day went off without a hitch. We had such an amazing and talented group of young dancers from all over New York show up and although it was EXTREMELY difficult, we managed to narrow it down to 20 of the best young dancers in the city. Thank goodness for my expert panel of judges, the job wasn't an easy one, but they certainly got it right! Here's to what I know will be a great first season!

Shout out to Elite Dance Complex, the official sponsor the the Brooklyn Cyclones Beach Bums & Pee Wee's Dance Crew! Cannot wait to get started :) 

Elite Dance Complex
1635 Bath Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11214

Ph: 718-337-8497
Fx: 905-565-0925

Brought to you by the owners of Trio Productions  

Say hello to the 2013 Pee Wee's Dance Crew!

Sarcoma Foundation of America's Educational Conference

Sarcoma Foundation of America's Educational Conference

This weekend was not only a fun one, but an educational and emotional one. On Sunday April 28th Aunt Joe, Mom & I headed to the Grand Hyatt hotel in Manhattan for the Sarcoma Foundation of America's Educational Conference . Being able to attend the conference and see first hand the medical advances or lack there of was eye opening.  

Sarcoma is the most rare form of cancer in the United States and many people ask me "why is it relevant?" The answer is simple, it can attack anyone, of any age, any race, in any area of the body. It knows no boundaries, it is aggressive, it is unpredictable and it needs to be stopped!  In simplistic terms, I like to tell people to think of snow, when it falls from the sky it all looks the same, but it isn't until you look closely that you can see no two snowflakes are alike.  That is exactly how sarcoma works.  Sarcoma is the general term, but there are over 50 different types of sarcoma, each of which requires a different course of treatment, different combinations of medication and different procedures. 

The conference consisted of medical presentations from 5 sarcoma specialists who covered everything from specific treatments, personal cases they have encountered, the facts about sarcoma and the harsh reality of this cancer.  Patients need answers, doctors need funding and the nation needs a cure! Following the presentations the specialists sat for a Question & Answer session where 26 AMAZING survivors, caregivers, fellow doctors and those still fighting their battle had the floor. Hearing some of the questions and the heartfelt stories was touching.   

During the conference I had the opportunity to chat with Lauren Fusaro, the founder of the Invincible Sarcoma Campaign and 24 year old Sarcoma Survivor who I had the privilege of meeting last year.  She is a beautiful person, both inside and out, working to make a difference in the lives of sarcoma victims.  In addition to Lauren Fusaro I had the unbelievable opportunity to meet 3 survivors and phenomenal women all with Angiosarcoma Awareness Inc.  Founder Lauren Ryan, along with Corrie Painter and Precious all left such a powerful impression on me.  Precious blew me away with her strength and pride she had for being a "victor."  Corrie infected me with her joy.  And lastly, Lauren Ryan brought me to tears in the best way possible.  She is such a special lady, a person whose light shines so brightly around them that you can't help but be empowered by their genuine spirit.  Lauren noticed my false eyelashes that I was wearing that day and asked if I knew how to put them on.  She had a pair in her bag that she wanted to wear to the Sarcoma Foundation's Gala, but had never put them on before. So of course I broke out some pageant magic and made it happen! 

It is days like this and people like Lauren that remind me why this fight is such an important one.  The people make the difference, it is their hope, their joy and their passion that will lead us to a cure!

Want to learn more about Sarcoma and the Specialists working to find a cure? Check out the list below and join the fight! 

Advances in Research in Sarcoma Pathology and SFA Funded Research

John S.J. Brooks, MD, FRCPath, Pennsylvania Hospital

Emerging Therapies in GIST and Soft Tissue Sarcoma

William Tap, MD, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Aerosol Therapy: A Novel Way to Treat Osteosarcoma Lung Metastases

Eugenie S. Kleinerman, MD; MD Anderson Cancer Center

Side Effects from Sarcoma Chemotherapy

Robert G. Maki, MD, PhD; Mount Sinai Medical Center

Personalizing Sarcoma Care: Driving improved results by understanding the mechanisms that drive an individual’s sarcoma

George Demitri, MD; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Stand Up! Stay Strong! Got the Gown! Surprise!

Stand Up! Stay Strong! Got the Gown! Surprise! 

The weekend of April 27^th proved to be a productive and fun one filled with appearances, surprises and friends! On Saturday morning I headed to Clove Lake Park in Staten Island to meet up with Amanda Rae Davis, a Miss Staten Island Contestant and Anti-Bullying Advocate, who has been doing remarkable things with her platform.  I had the chance to sit for an interview for the Stand Up, Stay Strong campaign against bullying and talk about what bullying means to me, how it can be handled, along with the personal experiences I have encountered growing up.  Bullying has become an epidemic among our generation and in order to combat it we must not be afraid to speak up, share your stories and most importantly ask for help.  Do not be troubled by your emotional battle wounds, they are a part of you and in an odd way have helped to shape your character. 

As someone who was bullied as a child, I was so proud to take part in this initiative and have my voice heard.  I am a 23-year-old adult, but the memories I have from being bullied for years haven’t gone away.  I very distinctly remember feeling lost at times, alone, targeted because of my size (I was a peanut growing up), for being quiet, for being me.  I didn’t understand why and part of me never will, but I do know I now embrace the “reasons” I was bullied.  I am a 5’1” peanut and proud of it! Small, but mighty! And quiet? Quiet no more, as I now have this amazing voice that is being heard across the country! 

(My allergies had kicked in, so excuse the puff ball eyes below)

STAND UP! STAY STRONG! Photo Credit: AJD Photography

Following the interview I was lucky enough to have an impromptu photoshoot with AJD Photography (make sure to “LIKE” them on Facebook), then headed to look for my Miss NY gown.  I had no intention of purchasing one, was just doing some browsing, BUT I ended up trying on a gown that I didn’t want to take off and I knew (after a lot of anxiety driven debating) that this was the one! Can’t wait to wear it in July!

After a fun afternoon I headed back to Brooklyn to get ready for my best friends surprise birthday party in the city.  A bunch of my friends and I took my oldest and best friend in the world Michael out for what he thought was a simple dinner.  Little did he know I was in communication all week with his bosses (they planned the party, how great is that?) and he was about to walk in to a grand fiesta! Needless to say it went off without a hitch! Mike was completely surprised and we all had a fantastic time!

SURPRISE!

What an awesome Saturday! 

Until next time :) 

~Christina   

Class Complete!

Miss Brooklyn 2013 Competition! 

The Miss Brooklyn Pageant on April 14^th marked the end of an outstanding and (seriously competitive) season in the Miss NY system.  We now officially have 24 remarkable women ready to bring their A-Game to Miss NY in July.  It was great to be back at Miss Brooklyn, where my journey in the Miss America Organization began a few years ago.  I was able to cheer on some of my dear friends and when all was said and done Teresa Lii walked away as Miss Five Boroughs, Katie Berry (aka nugget) took the title of Miss Greater Gotham and Stephanie Accardo (my other vertically challenged bud) took home the title of Miss Brooklyn! I could not be more thrilled for these women, NOW our class is officially complete (woot woot!). 

(Jamie & I were waiting for our sashes to come in)  

We sashless and we know it and we ain't afraid to show it!

Stay tuned for many more blogs to come!
Adios, 
Christina

Miss NY Triple Crown Competition: Miss Kings County 2013

. . . as the saying goes "third times a charm"

Greetings NY! It's been a few weeks since I was crowned Miss Kings County and I am so excited for the opportunity to head back to Miss NY State.  I have been involved in the Miss America Organization for the last three years I cannot even begin to express how this organization has changed the course of my life.  I began competing back in 2010 when I entered the Miss Brooklyn competition.  I had not a clue what I was getting into, but after having such a fun first experience in the system, I was bit by the bug!  In 2011 I threw my hat in the race again and this time walked away as Miss Brooklyn 2011, competing that June at Miss NY State.  After an amazing journey, terrific friends and what was hands down the best year of my life, I decided to compete at the State Triple Crown last year and again had the opportunity to compete for Miss NY, this time as Miss Verrazano 2012.

I will be honest when this year began I thought about taking the year off from competing. I recently began a new job, shifting my focus to finding my way in the "real world," (clearly I was not thinking straight). All of those thoughts quickly changed when I went to Vegas with some of my Miss NY sisters to cheer on our very own Miss NY, Mallory Hagan at Miss America.  Seeing everything live and witnessing Mallory crowned our Miss America was an experience I will NEVER forget! The entire week just solidified my love for this organization and I knew that not competing was not an option. 

The Triple Crown competition took place on Saturday March 30th at the Manhattan Movement and Arts Center.  For those who are not familiar with the Miss America Organization and how a competition works here is a quick crash course :)  . . . The Miss America Organization is the leading scholarship organization for young women in the world, providing over $45 million in scholarships for women to further their education.  The day of the Triple Crown competition I took part in a private 10 minute interview with a panel of judges (who were awesome), followed by a rehearsal for the onstage portion of competition.  The onstage portion of competition includes an onstage question, the lifestyle and fitness competition, a talent portion and an evening wear competition.  When all is said and done three young ladies walk away with titles (which they choose based on their residency), a scholarship and the chance to compete for Miss NY State this July!  I went into this competition with an open mind and trusted that what ever was meant to happen would happen.  I have never felt more relaxed and at ease competing then I did this time around.  Lesson . . . being calm works for me! Happy to say I walked away as the swimsuit preliminary winner and overall interview winner.  I'm pretty sure I was more excited to win interview over anything else that occurred that day (the utter look of shock on my face said it all, haha).  That accomplishment was unexpected in every sense of the word and I am beyond thankful that it happened!

When people ask me what my favorite part about competing is the answer is easy, one . . . I get to perform my talent (I'm a dancer, so being able to be onstage brings me joy), two . . . I am given a unique voice in my community, along with the opportunity to support a cause near to my heart and three . . . the fact that I get to meet so many amazing young women! I find it funny sometimes when people have these preconceived notions that girls who compete are all out to get one another, when that is probably the furthest thing from the truth.  In these last few years I can't even begin to count the amount of friends I have made because of this organization.  The young women are amongst the most dedicated, intelligent, compassionate, spunky and down to earth people you will ever meet! There is such a sense of support and comradery within the system that makes us our own little unique family that I am proud to be a part of.  Huge congrats to my Miss NY sister and Wagner Dance Team girl Jamie Lynn Macchia the new Miss Greater NY and my Miss NY sister Nina Davuluri, Miss Syracuse!

Thank you to my friends and family for their endless support, encouragement and love.  We did it!

Let the adventure begin! 

Until next time . . .

~Christina