IBR's Women of the Year
Congratulations to Stacy Pearson, Idaho's Business Woman of the Year. But a VERY special congratulations to our very own Larinda Spencer. Larinda has been volunteering for the Miss Idaho Board and currentlly holds the position of Scholarship Committee Chairperson. She was one of the 50 women nominated for this award in the state of Idaho for her work at Ataraxis, Inc.. We are so proud of her!
“Every one of these 50 women of the year exemplifies what it takes to be a leader,” said Idaho Business Review Vice President and Publisher Sean Evans. “Year after year we are amazed by the caliber of all of these women who are consummate business professionals who also manage to make a real difference in their communities.”
You can read the whole article here.
“Every one of these 50 women of the year exemplifies what it takes to be a leader,” said Idaho Business Review Vice President and Publisher Sean Evans. “Year after year we are amazed by the caliber of all of these women who are consummate business professionals who also manage to make a real difference in their communities.”
You can read the whole article here.
A Weekend in Teton Valley
My big event last week as Miss Idaho was the Teton Valley
Curves open house. I showed up in Driggs at 9 am, ready to workout all day
long! Cat, owner of Teton Valley Curves, showed me around the circuit to give
me a feel the type of workout every lady is getting at Curves. It’s only 30
minutes total, and the hydraulic machines let you control the intensity of your
workout based on how quickly you perform each exercise. At 10am, we had our
largest RE-solution class of the day with about 15 ladies. I helped the coaches
from inside the circuit, motivating each lady to push harder and envision their
end goal. After the workout while the ladies were stretching, I shared a few of
my experiences working towards the Miss Idaho swimsuit competition last June,
and Miss America in January.
Could you see this girl at Miss America some day!? I can!
Two of the ladies I met at the 10am RE-solution class;
It's so fun to see people's reactions when you let them wear the crown and sash!
This is Amy, one of the coaches at Teton Valley Curves who is bilingual
and can help even more ladies reach their fitness goals!
Following the 10 o’clock class, I ran some errands, making
payments and bank deposits for the fitness club, as well as distributing flyers
to people in the parking lot and recruiting them to come to the 2pm or 6pm
classes. I was excited wen Cat from Curves hired me for a contract day job to
do all the marketing for the open house and Curves club in general. It’s always
nice to receive a little compensation for an appearance as well! ;)
On my lunch break, I found a restaurant unique to Driggs
just off Main Street called Wrap ‘N Roll. They catered some of the food for the
open house throughout the day, and I just couldn’t get enough of it! My Curry
Chicken Wrap was heavenly to say the least! If you’re ever passing through
Teton Valley, you ought to stop by. After lunch, I spoke to another group of
ladies at the 2pm RE-solution class, and then headed off to the high school to
speak to the Teton County Distinguished Young Women. The DYW always attracts
such nice girls!!! I had a great time visiting with them, and I even ran into
some of the students that I met back in October when I visited Teton High
School’s choir and band classes. The whole city just has such a homey,
laid-back feel. Gotta’ love Idaho!!!!
I returned back to Curves for the 6pm class, where I met
Teton Valley Curves’ youngest member named Miriam. Throughout the class she
seemed very shy, and she was extremely soft spoken. At the end of the class
when I was packing up my stuff to head home, Miriam pulled me aside and asked,
“Miss Idaho, if it’s not too much trouble, would you mind coming to dinner with
me at my family’s Mexican restaurant?” Talk about heart melting!!! It was such
a sweet end to a memorable day in Teton Valley. So Miriam helped me carry the
rest of my things out to my car, and we headed down Main Street for Hacienda
Cuajimalpa.
I was also able to meet Miriam's older sister who was our waitress, and her father who runs the place.
At the restaurant, Miriam's little sister had fun being Miss Idaho for an hour!
Miriam told me that her family’s place was the oldest
restaurant in town. She opened up even more, letting me into her personal life
and future goals. As a girl who loves soccer, she plans to lose 10 pounds in
order for her hip injuries to heal faster so that she will be able to play.
When she loses those 10 pounds, her family has planned a trip to Disneyland!
After we finished our Taco salads, I had the opportunity to meet the rest of
Miriam’s family at the restaurant, and of course we all got pictures together.
Miriam and the rest of her family proved to be some of the most kind-hearted,
generous people I’ve met! Getting to know Miriam over dinner at her family’s
restaurant is one of those sweet memories that I can add to the Miss Idaho
collection and keep with me for the rest of my life. You can bet I’ll be
stopping by Hacienda Cuajimalpa next time I go through Driggs up to Targhee. J
Until Next Week,
Whitney Wood
Miss Idaho 2012
A Week in the Treasure Valley
Last week I spent a couple days in Boise for some volunteer
activities for Valentine’s Day. On Wednesday, I spent an hour and a half in the
Pediatric Department of St. Luke’s. With it being cold and flu season, many of
the children were in isolation, but I was able to visit their rooms and at
least wave through the window or from the doorway. I love seeing a little
girl’s face light up when she sees the crown! There were a few children on the
mend who were not in isolation thankfully. Most of the little girls I visited
enjoyed holding my crown and posing for a picture with it on her head. The
majority of the little boys, however, were more interested in their game boys
than seeing Miss Idaho…so the one little boy who did welcome me in to visit,
Javier, made my day! He even got a picture with the crown on HIS head after he
let his sister try it on as well.
Although I wasn’t able to keep any of the pictures, all of the children
received copies, and I had a great day to include among many sweet memories
from this year as Miss Idaho. Our children’s hospital is absolutely wonderful
with the friendly staff and accommodations they make for each child. Malia, the
playroom coordinator at St. Luke’s, showed me around 4th floor of
the hospital where there is not only the children’s playroom, but the teen
lounge that was created and inspired by teens. They have an Xbox, Rock Band,
board games, music, movies, everything you could think of! No one wants to be
stuck in the hospital, but St. Luke’s does a great job of making it a little
more enjoyable.
After my time at St. Luke’s, I drove out to the Robinson’s house, where they so graciously let me stay whenever I am in the Treasure Valley for appearances. It was so fun to catch up with Amy and tell her all about my Miss America experience. She has such a great outlook on life and has always been there to keep me grounded when “pageant-mode” clouds my vision of the grand scheme of life. Increased gratitude for the state of Idaho, my ever-supportive family and friends, the foundation values that make up my character, and the knowledge that my Heavenly Father has a plan for my life are just a few of the treasures that I walked away from Miss America with. After talking to Amy, I went back out to the garage to unload my car and before I knew it, this cute little blonde girl had run from the school bus and was glued to my side! J If anything can make a place feel like home, it’s a hug from sweet Bretta Robinson!
Tomorrow I have an exciting day in Teton Valley helping at
the Curves for Women Open House. I’ll be directing three fitness classes
throughout the day and speaking about my experiences getting ready for the
swimsuit competition at Miss Idaho and Miss America...stay tuned!
 |
| Just after volunteering in the Pediatric Dept. I wish I could've kept the picture I got with the kids! |
After my time at St. Luke’s, I drove out to the Robinson’s house, where they so graciously let me stay whenever I am in the Treasure Valley for appearances. It was so fun to catch up with Amy and tell her all about my Miss America experience. She has such a great outlook on life and has always been there to keep me grounded when “pageant-mode” clouds my vision of the grand scheme of life. Increased gratitude for the state of Idaho, my ever-supportive family and friends, the foundation values that make up my character, and the knowledge that my Heavenly Father has a plan for my life are just a few of the treasures that I walked away from Miss America with. After talking to Amy, I went back out to the garage to unload my car and before I knew it, this cute little blonde girl had run from the school bus and was glued to my side! J If anything can make a place feel like home, it’s a hug from sweet Bretta Robinson!
After catching up with my “Boise family” I got back on the
road, and headed to Caldwell to grab some dinner with one of my best friends
from high school. Morgan showed me around campus at College of Idaho,
introduced me to a lot of her friends, and as we were sitting down for dinner,
I ran into none other than Katy Lootens, Miss Idaho’s Outstanding Teen 2010.
What a phenomenal musician, leader, and individual! Katy and I competed
together the year that she won, and it was a blast to follow her year and see
how well she represented our state at nationals. She is staying busy with
school and continues to be a great role-model for those who recognize her from
the MIOT (Miss Idaho’s Outstanding Teen) Organization.
After getting a little dose of college life again and
catching up with Morgan, I met my director to talk about Miss Idaho Orientation
and plans for the pageant this summer. It was a SWEET experience – literally,
since we met at Cheesecake Factory. But before we started talking Miss Idaho
stuff, it was so refreshing to just talk about life! After all of the support
and training that Tami has given me for Miss America, it was fun to see more
into the person she is outside of her role as Miss Idaho’s director. Idaho is
truly blessed to have Tami and the other board members who put in so much time,
money, and effort because they love this program and they love to see young
women empowered.
Thursday (also Valentine’s Day!), I went to the Veteran’s
Hospital for VIP Day. I went around with the Hospital Director (my Uncle Dave),
and my escort Mike Smith from the Disabled American Veterans organization, to
deliver handmade valentines to veterans in the hospital, under hospice care,
and in the nursing home. Elementary school children from Caldwell made the
valentines, with personal notes thanking each of the service men and women for
their dedication to our country. We had a photographer follow us around to each
of the rooms so that we could give photos to each veteran as well. But I was
not the only person visiting Veterans on Valentine’s Morning. I met Coach
Peterson of the BSU Broncos and Governor Butch Otter. It was a great day for
service, and a lot of fun to learn from some of the experiences and stories of
our Veterans.
 |
| With my escort, Mike Smith from the Disabled Veterans Org. |
 | ||
Getting a picture with one of the Veterans on Valentine's Day
|
After visiting with the Veterans, I dropped off about twenty
filled handbags to The Valley Crisis Center in Nampa and the City Light Home in
Boise. It amazes me how many charitable facilities like these that we have in
Southeastern and Western Idaho that provide for families in need. My last stop
before heading home was to get my oil changed at Mike’s Boise Clutch and
Automotive. They sponsored Miss Idaho this year with four free oil changes –
and boy are those oil changes very needed! It was my third time going into
Mike’s, and every time I have received great service. If you live in the Boise
area, Mike’s is definitely the place to go!
 |
| Just dropping off some handbags to the Valley Crisis Center in Nampa |
 |
| I'm excited to go to Teton Valley Curves tomorrow for the Open House! |
All my love,
Whitney
Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival
Laura said, "Friday night I helped sell buttons and heard some incredible jazz. Among the performers were Take 6, the Jeff Hamilton Trio, Regina Carter, Sara Caswell, and Dee Daniels just to name a few. Saturday night I was able to attend a reception at the President’s house with one of my very best friends (and also our student body president), Hannah Davis."
Miss America Heads Back To Atlantic City!
February 14, 2013
We are so very proud to share our excitement with you as we announce the return of the Miss America Pageant to her home in Atlantic City this September, 2013!
This monumental news will be officially announced today in Atlantic City, New Jersey along with state and local officials who are delivering this historic announcement. The Miss America Organization has reached an agreement to bring our beloved tradition back to its home where it first began on the sandy beach of Atlantic City in 1921.
"We are so thrilled to bring Miss America back to her home in Atlantic City. Throughout the decades, Miss America has evolved into an incredible organization because of your efforts and those of your volunteers who have remained committed to supporting our organization which enables over 12,000 young women every year to enter and participate in this outstanding scholarship program. Today, Miss America remains an iconic symbol and our roots have always been connected to our history in Atlantic City. This proud heritage, so rich in history is now our future as we prepare for the most exciting television event ever for Miss America with the support of your organization and our network partner, ABC. We will also be announcing a new 3 year deal with our network broadcast partner, ABC! The return to Atlantic City will allow us to showcase our beloved Miss America event in the destination where it all began," stated Sam Haskell, III.
Art McMaster added, "We are truly grateful to the Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie and the Lt. Governor, Kim Guadagno who along with the local agencies in Atlantic City came together to create a mutually beneficial partnership to welcome Miss America back. This is a monumental milestone for our organization to return to the Jersey shore and prepare for the next chapter in our organization’s history. As we depart Las Vegas, we sincerely thank our friends at Planet Hollywood who have hosted us for the last eight years. In addition, we thank the City of Las Vegas, who has helped us achieve the best television ratings in eight years. As we now look to the future and bring Miss America home...we are excited to begin a new era with Atlantic City and our beloved tradition."
We realize you will have many questions and we will look forward to answering them in the weeks ahead as we finalize the details and exact date for September. The agreement reached, is a multi-year agreement to bring the pageant back after an eight year absence in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Our award winning television producer, Anthony Eaton and his company, Tall Pony Productions who have produced the live event in Las Vegas for the last six years, will produce this memorable homecoming event for ABC live in Atlantic City!
As we begin to prepare for this incredible event, we know we can count on your support to make this move a successful one. Although two pageants in one year may be a challenge, we are confident that as a family we can all work together to create one of the most memorable events in our pageant’s history.
We extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to you for your continued support.
Warmest regards,
Sam Haskell, III
Chairman of the Board
Chairman of the Board
Art McMaster
President / CEO