This past week was a crazy one for me. It was both stressful with final exams, but also fun with all of the Christmas events I had the opportunity to attend!
To kick off the Christmas fun, Laura, Stephanie and I had to opportunity to do a New Year’s themed photo shoot with Dan of Nodak Photography in Fargo, ND. I am a former model, so it was fun for me to get in front of the camera again with a professional photographer. I had a blast taking pictures with Stephanie and Laura. We all got to wear sparkly cocktail dresses, and of course- big hair and makeup! I can’t wait to see how the pictures turned out!
The next day was the annual Christmas sleepover at our director’s home. We were served a four course meal, and many delicious Christmas treats! I had a great time getting to know Stephanie and Laura, watching Christmas movies, and opening gifts. We received gifts from our sponsors, which included a fleece blanket, matching pajamas, matching zip-up sweatshirts, a bracelet, earrings, lip gloss, soap, lotion, fuzzy socks, and candy. We also received services to help us prepare for the Miss North Dakota Pageant in June from Artisty-Bethany Smith, tanning from iBeach Tan, personal training from Snap Fitness, and products from Complete Nutrition. Thank you so much to all of our sponsors!
Later in the week, I was able to make my first official appearance as Miss Grand Forks! I attended “Santa’s Village” at the Lincoln Park Golf Course. It was a Christmas themed party for families and young children. The room was filled with about 20 fully decorated Christmas trees, and each had a specific theme. My personal favorite was the Sioux themed tree! There were many tables in the room, each with a different Christmas craft. I walked around to each table and constructed crafts with many different families and took pictures with each child in front of their favorite Christmas tree. I had the opportunity to speak with many parents and children of all ages. It was this event that made me realize that I truly can make an impact in this community by simply being kind and reaching out to the people of Grand Forks. I look forward to many appearances to come throughout the community of Grand Forks as I continue to represent the Miss America Organization at the local level.
I had finished all of my exams, and it was time to go home. I packed up all of my things and loaded the car to begin my journey to my hometown to spend the Christmas season with my family. On my way to get gas, I heard a radio commercial for “Operation Christmas Morning” that was happening at Cabela’s in East Grand Forks. This organization collects unwrapped toys to distribute to the children of Grand Forks so every child will be able to open a gift on Christmas morning. After hearing this I immediately drove to East Grand Forks to select some toys to donate. I picked out a stuffed animal puppy and a sled. It is my hope that the gifts I donated will bring a smile to a child’s face on Christmas morning!
I am now safely home, and looking forward to the joys the rest of the Christmas season will bring me!
Kate Wilson
Miss Grand Forks 2012
