Miss Moorhead 2009

Farewell

2010-10-04T09:47:00.000-07:00

Growing up, we all have dreams and goals that we someday hope to accomplish. Some people dream of being a veterinarian, others a writer, some even dream of being famous. One year ago I stood on this stage and experienced one of my dreams come true.

My amazing year-long journey was full of so many wonderful memories and life experiences. Every accomplishment was possible thanks to the outstanding support and love of those I hold most dear.

My fantastic committee, how would I have survived without you? Always thinking of what’s best for me and organizing so many events and appearances to enrich my life. This year simply wouldn’t have been possible without the constant support from the Bunkowske family.

My family and close friends, thank you for supporting me with whatever dream I try to pursue. You are my greatest cheerleaders. Dad, thank you for cutting all my music and providing any technical needs, you are so brilliant! Mom, thank you for being so driven to make me feel the best and for taking all my pageant photos, you are a very talented photographer! Mel and Ben, you are the most unique brother and sister a girl could ever ask for, I love you both so much!

Travis, you mean the world to me. You keep me level-headed and I have never felt more loved or supported.

Paige, Miss Red River Valley Outstanding Teen, you have been a true inspiration. You are a remarkable young woman and I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for you. I enjoyed spending the year with you.

My “little sister” Ashley (through the Big Brother’s Big Sisters Organization), you have helped me see life in a different way. The growth I have seen within you and myself over the past two years is what fueled my desire to make this organization my platform. Our relationship has blossomed and I cannot wait to see what the future hold for us.

Stacie McBride-Cox, you are such an inspirational woman. You have helped me grow in ways that you may not realize.

Kathryn Knuttila, I have one word to describe you, WOW! I hold our friendship very close to my heart and can’t wait to cheer you on at Miss America. I look up to you in so many ways.

To all of the girls competing for my job, I want to quote Ann Swanson when I say “remember that the judges tonight are not choosing a winner from a group of representatives. They are choosing a representative from a group of winners.” So many opportunities and so many new doors have opened in my life thanks to the Miss Moorhead Organization and I end my year with nothing but gratitude. I wish and pray for God’s continued blessings for this organization.

Although I am sad that this year is coming to an end, I am thrilled to forever be known as Bethany Beniek, your Miss Moorhead 2009.

Last Night as Miss Moorhead

2010-09-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

As I sit in my hotel room with my sister queen Paige Meyer, It's bitter sweet to know that we will be giving up our titles tomorrow night! We are having a girls night, practicing our intro number and eating lots of chocolate :-)

I have been so busy this past month, getting ready for my big Fundraiser on September 24th, working, and of course starting school. If you haven't done so yet, check out my website about the fundraiser featuring TONIC SOL-FA, Johnnie Blend and Miss Minnesota! All proceeds benefit the Children's Miracle Network http://cmnevent.beniek.biz/

I had my last Pizza Ranch Fundraiser on August 16th. I brought candy for all the employees and I will miss seeing their friendly faces every month :-)

On August 28th, I was in the Barnesville Potato Days Parade. I saw Miss Northwest, Melissa Paak, and we had some time to chat before the parade started. Thank you to Ford Muscatell who donated an awesome truck for Paige and I to ride in :-)

On September 2nd I attended the Minnesota State Fair for the first time in my life! I went with Miss Minnesota, Kathryn Knuttila, and my Mom. We were there from 7:30am to 11:00pm! Plenty of time to eat as much state fair food as possible. I had corn dogs, sliced apples with caramel and peanuts, chocolate dipped bananas and strawberries, deep fried pickles, cookies, and of course a deep fried snickers bar! I definitely had my fair share of calories that day :-) I got to watch Kathryn be Miss Minnesota. She did many radio appearances and got stopped many times throughout the day to give autographs and take pictures. She also had an appearance on Twin Cities Live where I got to meet the host Elizabeth Ries. I even got to dance with the "Go Groove" guy from that commercial :-) That evening I had the opportunity to compete in the State Fair Talent Show where I sang the song "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey. It was so much fun to perform in front of such a large crowd.

Tomorrow I am waking up bright and early and meeting all of the girls competing for my job. I can't wait to meet them and hang out with them all day :-)

I can't believe this time has already come.

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Last Night as Miss Moorhead

2010-09-10T19:28:00.000-07:00

As I sit in my hotel room with my sister queen Paige Meyer, It's bitter sweet to know that we will be giving up our titles tomorrow night! We are having a girls night, practicing our intro number and eating lots of chocolate :-)

I have been so busy this past month, getting ready for my big Fundraiser on September 24th, working, and of course starting school.

I had my last Pizza Ranch Fundraiser on August 16th. I brought candy for all the employees and I will miss seeing their friendly faces every month :-)

On August 28th, I was in the Barnesville

It's Not Over 'Till It's Over!

2010-08-20T08:02:00.000-07:00

I have some great news! I competed at the Benton County Fair Talent Contest at the beginning of August and ended up WINNING! I get to sing at the State Fair Talent Contest on September 2nd starting at 7:00pm, I hope to see you all there!

Last week I had the awesome opportunity of singing the National Anthem at the St. Cloud River Bats baseball game. I got to meet the players before the game and sing the the National Anthem in front of over a thousand people. They asked me to to come back and sing before their playoff game on August 18th. I'm was excited. I'll take any opportunity to perform!

I also attended the Miss Vergas and Princess Altona Pageant last week that my committee also organizes. It was awesome! I got to meet and greet with some of the newly crowned royalty and the pageant was a huge success! The place was packed with supporters and the pageant was so entertaining.

This past weekend I attended one of my favorite appearances. Gliks is a new store that has newly opened in Moorhead. Savanna Snyder (Miss Moorhead 2008) is the manager of Gliks and asked me help promote the store during its opening weekend. I got to wear their outfits all day and help out customers as they needed it. I have never been to a Gliks store before and I was surprised when I saw some of the cutest clothing for the cheapest prices! I would suggest getting to your closest Gliks store for your back to school shopping :-)

I cannot believe that my time as Miss Moorhead is almsot over. I have been keeping myself very busy and I will enjoy every last moment as Miss Moorhead.

Always,
Bethany Beniek

A True Adventure!

2010-08-07T00:16:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy! I can't wait to tell you all about the last few weeks I have had. On July 24th I attended the Miss Frazee and Miss Frazee Outstanding Teen Pageant. Since it was another trip up North, Aja (Miss South Central) and Kaylah (Miss Capitol City) met me in St. Cloud and we all car pooled together up to Frazee. It was an adventure!

As soon as Aja, Kaylah, and I were ready to go, Kaylah realized she had forgotten her bag with everything in it! She had her crown, banner and a couple of outfits, but forgot her overnight bag with the essentials such as tooth brush, make-up, shoes ect... so as we were already running a bit late we had to make a quick stop to Target to pick up some shoes. We were also getting hungry so while we were in the mall we quickly purchased some "Extreme Pitas." Aja was waiting in the car for us and didn't have her phone on so we couldn't ask her what she wanted to eat. Kaylah and I improvised and went off of what we knew about Aja ;-) "She's a vegetarian, OH and she likes spicy things!" I still laugh at the situation and Aja ended up loving her pita! Finally, after getting some shoes and food we got back on the road and made it to the pageant right when the pageant started. Perfect timing! We had to put our crown and sashes on in the car, but after Miss MN week were already pros at that. The pageant was filled with talent. Congratulations to the newly crowned Miss Frazee, Emily Kallis!

The next day I was in the Frazee Turkey Days parade. It was a beautiful day! I got to ride in a red corvette with Kaylah. We felt pretty cool. Kathryn rode in a PT Cruiser convertible and somehow managed to drop her phone inside the vehicle. When I say inside I don't mean on the seat, I mean in between the pieces of metal that holds the car together! People from all over the neighborhood started to come and help all of us pageant queens try and fish out Kathryn's phone. After about a half hour of sticking our arms in, using sticks and lots of tape, Kathryn retrieved her phone! It was quite the adventure in Frazee. We even got photos with the world's largest Turkey and the the world's largest Loon!

The next weekend I attended the Miss Heart of the Lakes and Miss Perham Pageant. Congratulations to the newly crowned Miss Heart of the Lakes, Kalli Randall and the new Miss Perham, Brittany Bachmann!

After the pageant I headed up to Walker, MN where I was competing in my first triathlon the next morning! I was so thrilled that Mackenzie Ross and my sister competed with me. My cousin, Jesse Leblanc is a cop in Walker and organized the entire event. It was called "Chase the Police Triathlon." It started with a 0.25 mile swim, followed by a 17 mile bike ride, and then finished with a 2.5 mile run. I never in a million years would have seen myself competing in triathlon, but I can now check that off my list of things to do in life. I definitely want to do another one :-) Check out http://www.walkertriathlon.com/ to watch a great clip they put in the LakeLand News about the triathlon.

After a day of relaxing, I was off to Thief River Falls to attend the Miss Thief River Falls Pageant. I have one word to describe this pageant, organized! This pageant was perfect down to the very program books. The theater was incredible and the place was packed! There was so much support that they had to start seating the balcony seats. Congratulations the to newly crowned Miss Thief River Falls, Meghan Kuznia.

I spent the night in Thief River Falls and was Kathryn's "little helper" for her first Inspiring America Concert as Miss Minnesota. It was a grand success! Kathryn recognized some incredible individuals and families that I can only define as truly inspiring. I wore Kathryn's "WHIY" t-shirt to try and get people to buy them at the concert, symbolizing "Who Has Inspired You." Kathryn plans to organize many more Inspiring America Concerts throughout her year as Miss Minnesota and I strongly encourage you to attend one, you will leave feeling uplifted and driven to make a difference.

On August 5th I was at the Moorhead Dairy Queen promoting Miracle Treat Day which is a nation wide fundraiser for the Children's Miracle Network. The owners we so kind and gave me an awesome "Moorhead Dairy Queen" t-shirt. I handed out coupons and of course bought my own blizzard to support the cause.

As my year as Miss Moorhead is shortly coming to an end I still have so much work to do! I'm enjoying every moment and keeping myself very busy. I'm hosting my last two fundraisers for CMN as Miss Moorhead on August 9th and August 16th from 5:00-8:00pm at the Waite Park Pizza Ranch. I hope to see you all there!

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Scheels 5K to the Water Carnival Parade

2010-07-19T21:17:00.000-07:00

On Saturday July 19th I attended the Scheels 5K benefiting the Central Minnesota's Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization! It was great running for a cause that I have been so passionate about for several years. The event had raised $1,420. I was thrilled to have been a participant of such a great event. My older sister Melanie ran it with me. It was her first 5K ever and she was incredible! Thanks to Melanie and Tina for running it with me :-)

The next day I was in the Detroit Lakes Water Carnival Parade with my little sister queen Paige Meyer! Her Mom, Alice, picked me up in Perham and we drove to the parade together in one of the largest trucks I have ever been in. We were number 94 in the parade line up so when we got there we have some time to spare. We made sure our crowns were on straight and talked to some of the other floats that were around us. There were some clowns behind us who sang Happy Birthday to Bailey (Paige's little sister). It was Bailey's 16th Birthday and she was helping us pass out candy at the parade. Thanks to the Meyer family for helping out, you are all so kind! If you have never been to the Water Carnival Parade, it is the longest parade ever! It had to of been at least 3 miles long and it was packed with people the entire way. It was HUGE! I had a great time. The best part about driving up North is that I get to see Kathryn. I got to visit with her for a little bit after the parade before driving back home to St. Cloud. Kathryn showed me some of the jewlery she got from Dazzle Me Jewels and Coco & Chloe, two of Miss Minnesota's sponsors. It was all so beautiful! She had it laying out on the bed for display. All I have to say is that if you think Kathryn already has great jewlery, wait until you see this stuff-so unique and fun!

I will be at the Miss Frazee Pageant on Saturday and then in the Frazee Turkey Days Parade on Sunday. I hope to see you there!

Always,

Bethany Beniek

Miss Northwest, Pelican Rapids Parade and more FUN!

2010-07-13T08:55:00.000-07:00

This past Friday, July 9th, I attended the 75th Miss Northwest Pageant. There were 8 talented contestants competing for Miss Northwest and I of course had a wonderful time seeing many of the Miss MN 2010 girls :-) Congratulations to the new Miss Northwest, Melissa Paakh!

The next day I was invited to be in the Pelican Rapids Parade. My committee also invited Kathryn Knuttila, Miss Minnesota 2010, to join me in the parade and we had a great time together. The best thing about this parade was that it wan't too long, and honestly everyone waved back to you :-) Kathryn's nephews watched the parade and collected A LOT of candy for me to eat :-) I ate all the tootie rolls in seconds.

After the parade Kathryn invited all of the Miss MN 2010 Contestants over for a reunion at her lake cabin. Although many girls could not attend I was so thrilled to be able to see and hang out with a few of them! I went water skiing for the first time in my life! I was so scared! I love going on rides and getting butterflies, but this was a whole different feeling. Almost like I was watching a thiller movie and the super scary parts wouldn't stop! Yes, I wiped out on my first try, but I am proud to say I got up on my second try and rode around the lake. I looked like a rookie doing squats on water skiis. I clearly had no idea what I was doing, but at least I can say I did it :-)

I was the first person to water skii, and then it was Kathryn's turn. I did not know Kathryn was a professional water skiier! She was SO GOOD! She was very modest the whole time saying things like, "I haven't gone all summer," and "I know I'll fall first time." Well, my jaw dropped when she got up on ONE skii and started doing tricks and water sprays larger than 12 feet! I was impressed. I told her that all the contestants for Miss MN 2011 need to step up their game after watching her water skii!

This is Kathryn.....I told you she was good!!

Let's not forget that Aja and Kathryn went water skiing at the same time! One had a shorter rope than the other and they would skii under the other's rope! This is just an incredible example that pageant girls are so much more than meets the eye! This weekend was unforgettable! I had a blast.

This Saturday I will be running in a 5K benefiting the Big Brother's Big Sister's Organization in St. Cloud and then singing the National Anthem at the River Bats Game in Waite Park that same evening. On Sunday I will be apart of the Water Carnival Parade. Hope to see you there!

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Fourth of July Parade

2010-07-07T14:02:00.000-07:00

Since Miss Minnesota week I have been very busy with work and planning for my big CMN Fundraiser in September entitled, "Reach for you Dreams." My mom and I have been thinking of advertisement opportunities around the St. Joseph area because the event will be held at The College of Saint Benedict. We have been designing and printing flyers almost every day trying to get the word out about this incredible event to enjoy an evening out and raise money for an outstanding organization!

We decided to attend several parades to hand out flyers, the first one being the Fourth of July Parade in St. Joseph. We handed out over 1,000 flyers :-) The weather was SO hot. I was simply sitting on the back of a convertible and I was sweating! Thank you so much to Travis and my Mom for walking the 2.5 miles handing out all the flyers for me! You Rock! After the parade we all sat in an air conditioned house for awhile. I have to give a HUGE thank you to my Great Uncle and Aunt, Art and Char, for letting me use their beautiful Ford Galaxy Convertible during the parade! It looked great.

I'm looking forward to attending the Miss Northwest Pageant this weekend and getting together with the 2010 contestants! Kathryn is having a "2010 Contestant Reunion Party" and I can't wait to catch up with everyone. On Saturday I will be attending two more parades in Pelican Rapids and Dent. I heard these are not nearly as long as the St. Joseph Parade :-) Whew

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Miss Brainerd Lakes 2010

2010-06-28T12:33:00.000-07:00

I attended the Miss Brainerd Lakes Pageant on Saturday, June 26th. I was so excited to see some of the contestants from Miss MN week again! Lauren Johnson was so beautiful on stage and gave up her title with poise and grace. I also got to see Lexi, Kaylah, Samantha, Paige and Kathryn again! It's crazy how much you can miss people after one week.

I got to see Kathryn as Miss Minnesota up on stage! She did such an amazing job and is already representing Minnesota well. I'm so jealous of Kathryn's wardrobe, she always has some new dress to show us and I loved the gown she wore when she presented her talent. It was off one shoulder and had black and white patterns on it.

The Miss Brainerd Lakes Pageant had 8 outstanding contestants this year. I had a blast watching the pageant. Anytime I get to watch one I get so excited and want to compete myself :-) I just love performing!

Congratulations to the new Miss Brainerd Lakes 2010, Mary Peterson! I look forward to seeing the incredible things she will accomplish this year.

After the pageant a bunch of people went out to eat and I got to catch up with some close friends! It was a great evening.

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Miss MN Week! SATURDAY

2010-06-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

Saturday had finally arrived. I got a good night of rest and woke up to get ready for brunch with my family and friends. It was so great getting caught up with my committee and family and telling them all about the week. The brunch was delicious as well :-)

All the contestants got up individually and told a funny memory about the week. Everyone had great stories to share and it was a wonderful way to showcase how much fun we had throughout the week together. Writing this blog is so emotional right now because I'm at home trying to get back into reality and I miss everyone so much! I really hope to keep in touch with all the wonderful contestants this year. I have made some incredible frienships that will never fade.

After brunch we had some spare time before we left for the theater, so I tried to enjoy the last day at the hotel by visiting with everyone. Once we arrived at the hotel we rehearsed the final night production and the directors surprised us with new swim wear and evening gown music! The biggest surprise yet was that the top 10 had to wear sheer scarfs around their waist and have fun with them on stage while competing in swim wear. I think we all freaked out at first, but once we saw how cool it looked we felt a bit more confident about it :-)

After rehearsal we had plenty of time to get ready. I warmed up my voice, did some workouts and started doing my hair. It all felt so surreal in a way. I couldn't believe I was already getting ready for the Final night of Miss Minnesota week. I thought to myself, "a new Miss Minnesota will be crowned in less than 3 hours!" I recieved many cards and flowers from family and friends and I was already getting emotional before the show even started. I appreciate all the love and support everyone has shown me. I couldn't ask for better people to suround my everyday life.

Showtime was here! My dressing room always said a prayer before going on stage and we could feel the energy surge through our hands as we held them tightly together. Thank you Siri and Emily for leading us in prayer our three nights of competition, you helped us feel at peace and excited at the same time.

After the incredible opening number, all 20 contestants stood on stage anxiously awaiting to see who the top 10 were. This was the hard part! I could never have chosen just ten people out of this group of ladies. I really admire what Ann Swanson said at the brunch that morning, "the judges are not chosing a winner from a group of representatives, but a representative from a group of winners!" I honestly believe that every single woman standing on that stage is indeed a winner.

I am very pround to say that I was a top 10 semifinalist and got to perform on the Miss Minnesota stage again that Saturday evening! I feel very confident about my swim wear, evening gown and talent performances. I would not have changed one thing. Congratulations to the 4th runner up, Allison Lordbach, 3rd runner up, Lauren Johnson, 2nd runner up, Samantha Phillippe, 1st runner up, Siri Freeh and the New Miss Minnesota 2010, Kathryn Knuttila! Kathryn is my best friend and I honestly felt like I had won Miss Minnesota that evening because I was so happy for her! She will be a great Miss Minnesota and will represent us well during her year of service. I cannot wait to see all of the wonderful things she will achieve this year. Kathryn, I'm so proud of you.

After the pageant I headed down to the reception area where I took plenty of photos with everyone who came to support me. I said goodbye to as many of the contestants as possible and left for the hotel where my mom rubbed my feet (much needed)! Now I'm back at home and I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. I was treated like royalty all week, never kept a phone on me, never knew what time it was, just enjoyed every moment. Now I have to keep my phone on me, go to work, study for school, and apply to dental school! Life is flying by and if there is anything that the Miss America Organization has taught me, it's to enjoy every moment and take in the experience.

The best part about competing for Miss Minnesota is that even though I did not win, I am still Miss Moorhead for three more months. I am staying very busy with this HUGE event that I am planning on September 24th entitled, "Reach for your Dreams" at the College of Saint Benedicts featuring Tonic Solfa where all proceeds will be donated to the Children's Miracle Network! Please get your tickets TODAY at

http://www.csbsju.edu/fine-arts/purchase-tickets.htm

My goal is to sell out the 1,047 seat theater! Help make my goal a reality and raise a substantial amount for the Children's Miracle Network!

I will be attending the Miss Brainerd Lakes Pageant this Saturday :-) I hope to see you all there.

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Miss MN Week! FRIDAY

2010-06-18T22:11:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe I am sitting in my hotel room for the last night of Miss Minnesota week! This week went by so fast. Today we all got up to eat breakfast at IHOP at 8:00am and then attended the Miss Minnesota Golfing Tournament :-)

The golfing tournament was great, but I have to admit - Lauren Johnson's family team was so funny! They let me T-off for one of their female team members and I ended up getting it on the green for them! I was so proud of myself. I don't go golfing very often, but the one time it counted it all payed off!

After the golf tournament we headed back to the hotel to get ready for prelim night #2. I competed in "On-Stage Question" and "Talent" this evening! I was asked great questions and I feel very confident with how I performed.

Tomorrow I get to have brunch with my family and committee and can't wait to get caught up with everyone. After brunch tomorrow it's the BIG NIGHT! The new Miss Minnesota 2010 will be crowned!

Congratulations to Kathryn Knuttila- Quality of Life Award recipient, Lexi Okeson-Swim wear winner, and Siri Freeh- overall talent winner!

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Miss MN Week! THURSDAY

2010-06-17T21:41:00.000-07:00

Competition day finally arrived! I had talent rehearsal today at 11:15am and my interview with the judges at 2:15pm. We spent the entire day at the theater. It went by so fast! I was so excited for the prelim pageant to begin :-)

I competed in Swim wear and Evening wear tonight. I feel very confident about all areas that I have competed in thus far. I can't wait to perform my talent tomorrow night!

My feet are absolutely killing me tonight! Myself and about four other girls went down and sat in the hot tub to relax. It felt great!

Tomorrow we have breakfast at IHOP at 7:45am, attend the Golfing Tournament, and of course have the second prelim night competition :-) I hope to see you there!

Always,

Bethany Beniek

Miss MN Week! WEDNESDAY

2010-06-17T04:35:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, I got up at 5:00am to get ready to eat breakfast at the Original Pancake House. It was so delicious! I had hot cocoa, banana pancakes and eggs over easy, just the way I like them :-)

After breakfast we went over to the theater to rehearse all day. Honestly, I've never been so exited to perform an opening number. It's so much fun! After rehearsal we got ready for the Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen Pageant and went to Santorini's for lunch.

We ended up being really early for the teen pageant so we made a stop at Target to kill some time. It was so funny going into Target with all of our cocktail dresses on. Everyone was asking us why we were so dressed up.

Finally we were at the teen pageant and it was so great to see my committee and family again. They all came to support Paige Meyer, my sister queen (Miss Red River Valley Outstanding Teen). Everyone was so talented! Paige made me cry with her ballet performance and many other contestants made my jaw drop with how talented they were at such young ages! Watching the pageant was very emotional for me knowing that that will be me on stage this week! Congratulations to 2nd runner up, Bailey Wachholz, 1st runner up Paige Meyer, and the new Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen Katarina Akridge!

I have not been getting any sleep this week and was very excited to get 8 hours of sleep last night, BUT I woke up at 5:45am this morning and cannot go back to sleep. I have my Interview today at 2:15pm and I compete in swim wear and evening gown tonight at Prelims. I know my body is tired, but my mind is so occupied with thoughts I can't go back to sleep, so I decided to blog :-)

I hope to see you all tonight!

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Miss MN Week! TUESDAY

2010-06-15T21:50:00.000-07:00

Today we were up bright and early (like every day) and went to the Minnesota Zoo! It was so much fun having some free time to look at whatever we wanted. A group of us went in the indoor exhibit where we sat and watched some awesome monkeys. They had big bushy white tails and were hopping around from tree to tree and they even fought with each other. I was very entertained!

After the Zoo we had lunch and had rehearsal for four hours. Rehearsal was very fun! We are using some incredible music this year and it is so much fun to rehearse to :-)

Once rehearsal was finished we had some time to freshen up to eat diner at BUCA! Buca was of course delicious, but I had to work out a little extra hard this evening because I ate so much! I think almost all the girls were in the gym tonight because all we have been doing is stuffing our faces with outstanding food!

I'm SO excited for tomorrow (well except for getting up at 5am). We eat breakfast at the Original Pancake House, head over to the theater for more rehearsal, and then get ready for the MISS MINNESOTA OUTSTANDING TEEN Pageant! Words cannot describe how excited I am to watch this pageant, it's going to be a blast!

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Miss MN Week! MONDAY

2010-06-14T21:30:00.000-07:00

As each day passes during Miss Minnesota Week it progressively gets packed with more things to do. Today I got up bright and early to get ready to visit Gillette's Children's Hospital and the State Capital. We had lunch from Panera and dinner at Fuddruckers. We somehow managed to travel around the cities and take many photos with our sponsors. After diner we came back to the hotel to rehearse the opening number. If you don't come see the show you are missing out because this opening number will be so entertaining :-) I can't wait to show you all!!

My feet are starting to get a little sore, but what should I expect when I'm wearing heels for about 10 hours a day!

Tomorrow we go to the Minnesota Zoo and have rehearsal for 4 hours. Let's not forget my favorite part, we eat dinner at BUCA tomorrow night! YUM!

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Miss MN Week! SUNDAY

2010-06-13T21:57:00.000-07:00

The five Quality of Life Finalists and Miss Minnesota

I bet you'll never see that at the Mall of America every day :-)

Today was packed with fun stuff. I woke up at 7:30am, got ready and went to our directors room to design name tags for our hotel rooms. Mine is pink and purple with sparkly flowers on it! Everyone was so creative.

After making name tags I went back to my room and prepared for my Quality of Life Interview at 10:15am. There were three judges for this award and it had a very relaxed feeling. I think it went really well!

After the interview all of us contestants put on our red Introduction outfits and went to the Mall of America to eat at Panda Express. The egg rolls were my favorite! Then we were off to the fashion show at Glitz. I had SO much fun wearing two dresses. One was a purple cocktail dress and the other was a beautiful deep blue evening gown.

After mingling with my family and friends who came to watch, we went to eat at Crave (also located in the Mall of America).

We had our first rehearsal tonight and walked through how the show will be. You don't want to miss this pageant! It's going to be so entertaining and FUN!!

Tomorrow we are going to Gillette's Children's Hospital and the Capital and having more rehearsal. I'm getting very excited for prelims!

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Miss Minnesota Week! SATURDAY

2010-06-12T21:14:00.000-07:00

Well it's official, I'm sitting in my hotel room enjoying my first night of Miss Minnesota Week. I arrived around 4 o'clock today. After getting checked in I brought my ridiculous amount of luggage up to my room and unpacked to get myself organized. Sarah (my roommate) was already in the room. Before we knew it we had to be downstairs to leave to go bowling!

The moment all the girls got in the vans all the cameras came out and we all started taking photos :-) I'll post all my photos right after June 19th. The photo above is my bowling team, Aja, Tiffany, Lacey, and I. We called ourselves the "Winners" so we tried to create a "W" with our bodies. I think it was quite successful! Although my bowling team came in last place I am proud to say I bowled a 129!

After we arrived back from bowling, we met up in a common room to talk about the plans for tomorrow. I have my Quality of Life Award Interview at 10:15am and then we are leaving for the Mall of America to have lunch at the Panda Express. I'm looking forward to the Glitz Fashion show tomorrow, I love wearing dresses! I hope to see you all there at 2:00pm at Glitz!

I better get some beauty sleep because I didn't get any sleep last night (I was too excited). I love sleeping in hotel rooms. And let me tell you, this bed is very comfortable!

I'll try and keep you all updated throughout the week.
Always,
Bethany Beniek

Send-Off Party

2010-06-09T20:44:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, June 8th, I had my Miss Moorhead Send-Off Party! This was my first experience having a Send-Off Party because I didn't have one last year as Miss City of Lakes. This was a joint send-off party for me and Paige Meyer, Miss Red River Valley Outstanding Teen. It was great practice for Miss Minnesota. I modeled all my outfits which included my introduction outfit, interview outfit, evening gown and of course my talent gown and performed my talent as well. I had a great time! A great big thank you to the Eventide Assisted Living Home for hosting our send-off party! Another great big thank you to Granite City DJ's for donating the sound equipment for the night (aka my boyfriend Travis). Thank you to my wonderful committee for setting all of this up and my parents for making the drive up to Moorhead :-) Love you all!

Only three days until check in! I better go start packing!

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Quality of Life Finalist!

2010-06-07T23:14:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled to say that I am a 2010 Tracie Joy McBride Quality of Life Finalist! I worked really hard on my essay and tried relentlessly to put who I am onto paper. What a great way to kick off Miss Minnesota week, a 10 minute interview talking about things that I am passionate about :-)

Also, this past week my little brother, Benjamin, graduated from high school and his graduation party was on Saturday, June 5th. Since school is all over for Ashley (my little sister within the Big Brother's Big Sister's Program) we are allowed to meet with each other outside of school :-) I invited her over to the graduation party to meet my family for the first time. Not only did she meet my immediate family for the first time, she met my entire extended family and friends. It was a little overwhelming for her at first because of all the names she couldn't remember, but once we ate some food and started playing some games she started to loosen up and become more relaxed. We played card games, bean bag toss, and polish golf. We had a great day together. The very next day, June 6th, was her birthday! She turned 11 years old! She was having a sleep over with a bunch of her friends so I dropped off my gift for her before they all came over. I got her an adorable beach bag from Hollister and a couple of movies for us to watch together. We were so sad to part though because I won't see her again until after Miss Minnesota week. I told her I would text her all of the results from pageant week and see her after Father's Day! I like to share stories about Ashley and I because my relationship with her has really changed me as a person. I truly feel like I'm making an impact on someone else's life. I can see how much Ashley looks up to me. I really want everyone to go through this same experience. Please visit www.bbbs.org to see how you can become a Big Brother or Big Sister yourself! It's something you would never regret.

Ashley and I playing Polish Golf :-)

The next four days are filled with my send-off party, mock interviews, driving to the cities three more times, getting my hair/nails/toes done and of course PACKING which I haven't even started. I put all my pageant stuff in a separate room for now. I'm organized I just haven't put anything into luggage yet. I simply cannot wait. I can't sleep I'm so excited. To give you a little perspective I went to work out tonight at midnight and am writing in my blog at 1:15 AM!! I can't stop thinking about the pageant!

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Miss Minnesota 2010 Ad Pages

2010-06-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

Below are my four ad pages for the Miss Minnesota 2010 Program Book! I wanted to give my sponsors a little bit more advertisement :-) I hope you all like them!

Thank You to Thoele Dental, Miss Melinda's Dance Studio, TGIFriday's of St. Cloud, St. John's Prep High School, and the Moorhead Community for being incredible sponsors!

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Memorial Day CMN Fundraiser

2010-06-01T21:40:00.000-07:00

On Monday, May 31st I had yet another Pizza Ranch Fundraiser located in Waite Park. I was so nervous that it wasn't going to be busy because it was Memorial Day, but it turned out to be one of my most successful fundraisers yet! Many families came in to eat together on their day off. I cannot express how grateful I am for all the support I have been given!

I am proud to say that my CMN account is updated and I have raised a total of $1,222 for the Children's Miracle Network! If you want to help me reach my goal of $1,500 please visit the website listed below to give a secure donation!

http://www.missamerica4kids.org/m.aspx?i=9703E6+A65A0B7

I hope you are all enjoying the lovely weather! It's hard for me to get outside because I've been so busy with practicing, working out, and preparations! I'm getting so excited for Miss Minnesota week! TWELVE days until I check in! WOW!

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Ashley's Talent Show

2010-05-28T21:57:00.000-07:00

Today, May 28th, I attended Ashley's Talent Show at Kennedy Elementary School. Ashley is my little sister through the Big Brother's Big Sister's Organization and I absolutely love spending time with her. I meet with her for one hour every week during the school day and yesterday when I was with her at recess, she asked me if I was coming to her talent show. I was so thrilled that she had signed up with a few of her friends to participate in the school wide talent show. She plays the violin. She did such a great job. It takes a lot of courage to get up in front of a large crowd and perform a talent and she did it in 5th grade! I'm so proud of her! Over this past year my relationship with Ashley has truly blossomed and I encourage anyone and everyone to look into becoming a "Big Brother" or "Big Sister" yourself. If it wasn't for the Big Brother's Big Sister's Organization I would have never met Ashley. We have really became apart of each other's lives. This program is proven to help children become more confident in themselves and with their school work. It it proven that children within this program are less likely to use alcohol or participate in substance abuse. They are less likely to skip school and have better relationships with their friends and family. All these outcomes are made possible by simply being a friend with someone else. There is a child who wants to be your friend, there are over 800 children on the waiting list for a Big Brother or Big Sister within a 10 county radius. Help that number decrease and become a mentor yourself.

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Coco & Chloe Fashion Show

2010-05-25T11:47:00.000-07:00

Last night, May 24th, I attedended the Coco & Chloe Fashion show located at Majors in Bloomington. I was one of the many Miss Minnesota Contestants to model some of the fabulous outfits. Coco & Chloe is a company that focuses on designing clothing for all ages that are comfortable for sleep wear and playing sports. They even sell purses, jewelery and dresses. This was my first fashion show experience and I had a blast, and I got some walking practice for Miss Minnesota! The great thing about this event was that Coco & Chloe was donating 10% of all sales that evening to the Children's Miracle Network.

Majors was rather hot with the temperature being 90 degrees outside! There was no air conditioning so all of the models were holding their hair up in the back and drinking a lot of water. Once the show started we forgot about the heat and walked to the fun, upbeat Lady Gaga music. We were told that "we aren't in New York, so smile and have fun when modeling your outfits" and that's exactly what I did. I always had a smile on my face and really tried to sell the outfit I was wearing. My favorite outfit that I modeled was a yellow dress that had a tie around the waist.

It was great seeing a lot of the contestants again and when I left I realized that this is the last time I will see anyone until we CHECK IN for MISS MINNESOTA week!! Only 18 days until we check in, can you believe it?!

I have so much more to do and my schedule is filled to the max these next 18 days. Wouldn't have it any other way :-)

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Feed My Starving Children, Fashion Rehearsal and Saluting Veterans

2010-05-22T18:54:00.000-07:00

This past week has been jam packed with appearances, driving and pageant preparations! This past Thursday I volunteered with Brooke (Miss Minnesota), Kathryn (Miss Twin Cities), Samantha (Miss Mankato) and the entire cast of Footloose at the "Feed My Starving Children" facility in Chanhassen. It was a fun filled experience! The moment we arrived we all had to put on hair nets that were very attractive :-) Samantha has a great photo of us in our hair nets so stay tuned to her blog to check out that photo!

When I arrived I didn't know what to expect. I had never volunteered for "Feed My Starving Children" before. This program is 100% volunteer based. It provides food for starving children around the entire world. At this time they are focusing on sending the packaged food to Haiti because of all the hardship that has occured in that area. Over 18,000 children die a day from starvation. This statistic is very sad and I am so thrilled that there are progams like this that are helping children in need.

Once we all watched a video about the program we headed into the packaging room where we spent and hour and half packaging bags of food. It was a BLAST! I was on an assembly line with the pageant ladies and we talked the entire time. Brooke of course was dreading the idea of giving up her title in a few short weeks! There were several assembly lines and it started to become a competition who could package the most boxes. We were a competitive team, but I think we came in second.

The photo above is the amount of boxes that our group packaged. We packaged 62 boxes that contains 13,392 meals in them. This would feed 37 children for a year. I'm so proud of everyone who volunteered that day. I really feel like we made a difference.

That same evening was the Fashion Show Rehearsal! There are many local title holders attending this fashion show and all the clothing is funky and fresh you simply must come check it out this coming Monday, located at Majors in Bloomington. The music is fun and upbeat and it is a Children's Miracle Network Fundraiser. Although rehearsal went late into the evening, the other contestants and I got giggly and had a great time.

Today, May 22nd, I ran in the "Old Glory Run" located in Cold Spring which benefited disabled veterans. I sang the National Anthem with the color guard. It was amazing seeing all the veterans and soldiers salute to me during the entire song. I have to say I was not only proud to be an American, but it helped me remember how thankful I am for every person who is currently serving and who has served for our nation.

Of course these past few days have been gorgeous outside so the one time that I get to be outside it rains. It rained for about an hour this morning and we had to pospone the run because of lightning. It didn't rain for too long and it stopped raining completely before the race. There was no need in doing my hair that morning, it was drenched by the time I sang the National Anthem. I didn't wear my crown and sash because I didn't want to get it wet from the rain, but the anouncer still introduced me as Miss Moorhead so I was thrilled to represent the Miss Minnsota Organization!

This is my hair before the rain, with a current soldier

My hair after the rain, singing the National Anthem

These next few weeks are so busy, my schedule is packed to the max. I take one day at a time and I know Miss Minnesota week will be here before we know it!

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Fishing to Miss USA

2010-05-16T18:39:00.000-07:00

Ever since I started competing within the Miss America Organization I have made it a goal of mine to reach out to as many young women as possible to compete within this system. I thought to myself how could I possibly do this? After brainstorming and brainstorming I realized the best way to reach out is to simply be myself. I want to show everyone that the women competing in the Miss America Organization are real women. Women who are exciting, artistic, athletic, intelligent, and involved individuals.

One of my favorite hobbies is fishing. I just got back from fishing this weekend during fishing opener. I don't want to brag, but I caught the most walleye on the boat this year! I made up for last year when I caught the least. I love fishing for sun fish, crappies, perch, and walleye. Yes, I bait and unhook my own fish :-) Many people are so surprised that I am a "Pageant Girl" and like to fish. I want to prove that yes I compete in pageants and that I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty. Who says a "Pageant Girl" needs to be afraid of bugs or disgusted by touching a fish. I personally love fishing and believe me, I'm a biology major, I do much worse things in lab than simply touching a fish. As Miss Moorhead I want to let other women who may like to fish know that you can try and compete in pageants too! You don't have to be the stereotypical "Girlie Girl" to compete in pageants. Look on the Miss Minnesota Organization website to see what local pageant is nearest you http://www.missminnesota.org/ . Now this is only one example to show that we contestants are not only worried about our looks, but we have lives and have fun too :-)

On the topic of pageants, I just finished watching the Mss USA Pageant owned and run by Donald Trump. Many people don't even realize that there are two completely different pageants televised. Miss America (the pageant system that I compete in and televised in January) and Miss USA (the Donald Trump owned system and televised in May). I cannot stress enough how badly I want to raise awareness of the differences between the two pageants! The America System has five areas of competition, interview, talent, evening wear, swim wear, and on-stage question. The USA system competes in three areas of competition, interview, evening wear and swim wear. As a personal opinion I do feel that both pageant systems create outstanding opportunities for women, but I do feel that the USA system is mainly focused on looks and beauty while the America system is more focused on the entire individual. I think the racy photos released by this years Miss USA contestans is giving all pageants a bad image. It's the publicity of the Miss USA stories that stick in people's mind and competely put pageants down. I still have people within my life who don't think "it's right" to compete in pageants. They say that it's "demeening to women." What these people lack is knowledge of the Miss America Organization. I want to sit down and have conversations with these individuals and explain to them that because of the Miss America Organization I have become a better person by becoming more involved in my community, more aware of important issues, and more confident within my daily life. So many opportunities and doors have been opened for me because of the Miss America Organization. Let's not forget the scholarships provided! I'm a student and we all know how important scholarships are valued especially during this economic time. Please visit the Miss America Organization website http://www.missamerica.org/ and read about what Caressa Cameron, our current Miss America, has been doing this past year. Read about the amount of scholarship provided to the women competing. The Miss America Organization has without a doubt changed my life and I will forever be an advocate for spreading awareness of it's outstanding opportinities. Please help me educate others by telling them how life changing the Miss America Organization is.

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure

2010-05-09T20:39:00.000-07:00

On Sunday May 9th (Mother's Day) I ran in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. I honestly don't know how I can put this experience into words. It was one of the most emotional and memorable experiences of my life!

The race took place in Bloomington, right outside of the Mall of America. I woke up bright and early to be there by 6:45AM, the race began at 7:30AM. I registered and recieved my race day T-Shirt, which I think is super cute! Everyone pinned on their race numbers and wrote out pink "In Memory of" or "In Celebration of" cards and also pinned those on their shirts. I wrote mine, "In Celebration of my Mother on Mother's Day." When I walked outside into the parking lot there were many tents set up across the entire parking lot. I walked around a little bit before the race and picked up quite a few free items. They were also handing out cancer awareness handkerchiefs that everyone wore on different parts of their body. Some wrapped it around their legs, some around their neck, others around their heads. I decided to wrap it around my arm :-)

I walked down to where the race was going to start. Over 7,500 people ran in the 5K Race for the Cure and over 50,000 people attended the 5K Walk for the Cure making this event the Second Largest Race for the Cure IN THE NATION! I was so thrilled to be apart of this event. Way to go Minnesota for being so supportive of such an outstanding cause! Breast cancer runs on my mother's side of the family and I have always been taught the importance of preventing breast cancer. My aunt is a breast cancer survivor!

After the singing of the National Anthem the hosts from KARE 11 gave us the countdown. The race began! I didn't even have to listen to my iPod at all because there were bands and music along the race path. There were cheerleaders and families cheering us on and giving us high fives. I was overwhelmed by the amount of support that was given at this race and I couldn't help but tear up several times while I was running. One of the most memorable parts of the race was when we all were running through the tunnel and everyone started yelling and screaming with joy! Everyone's voices echoed throughout the tunnel! I smiled, looked up and joined in with all the shouting.

I ran the whole way and shaved off two minutes from my previous 5K. I'm no long distance runner so my times are nothing to get excited over, I'm just proud I ran the whole way without stopping :-) Overall this was an incredible experience. I would suggest anyone and everyone to participate in something like this. I will never forget it.

I got this photo from http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=850305 check it out if you want to see more pictures from the day

My next 5K is on May 22, which benefits disabled veterans. It's called the "Old Glory Run." I will be kicking off the event by singing the National Anthem.  It is such an honor to sing our National Anthem and if you want to hear me sing, or perhaps run in the race with me, please visit http://www.curtkarls.com/TheOldGloryRun/home.html to register! It would be great seeing you there.

I cannot believe how fast time is flying by.  Before we know it, it will be June 12th and I will be checking into the hotel for Miss Minnesota Week!!

Always,
Bethany Beniek

CMN Walk

2010-05-03T15:04:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, May 1st, I attended the Children's Miracle Network(CMN) Walk located at Como Park in St. Paul. This was my second year attending this event. A lot of local title holders came to support CMN and I always love catching up with everyone and getting to know the other contestants better :-)

I arrived at 8:30am and immediately saw Brooke, Miss Minnesota, signing autographs for everyone. Once all the contestants arrived, the camaras came out and I think we posed for about 50 different camaras. There were hundreds of people who came to support CMN and many of them being families of patients at Gillette's Childrens Hospital. One little girl I remembered was "Anna Banana," a patient at Gillette's who was wearing a bright yellow shirt with a big banana on it. What I found funny was that she was eating an apple. I laughed and told her, "How can Anna Banana be eating an Apple?!" She giggled and looked at her shirt :-)

When the walk began all the title holders stuck together and walked around the lake. It was really relaxing walking around the beautiful lake and getting caught up with everyone. It turned out to be a really nice day and I was so thrilled to of been apart of the event again.

May 1st also marked the first day of my "$1 Donation Fundraiser" for CMN. For the entire month of May I will be carrying around a beautifully hand crafted box to accept $1 donations in. I will let everyone know about CMN and hopfully touch them enough to donate $1. The motive behind this fundraiser is to raise money without hurting anyone's bank accounts. I know it's difficult to raise money with the economy being the way it is, but I'm hoping to find enough individuals to donate $1 to reach my goal of $1,500.

Please consider donating $1 for an outstanding cause! You can securely donate online by clicking on the link below.

http://www.missamerica4kids.org/m.aspx?i=9703E6+A65A0B7

This is my last week of class. I have four finals and then I'm done with school on Friday! Once school is over I can really focus on preparing for Miss Minnesota and reaching my goal for the Children's Miracle Network!

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Contestant Workshop 2010

2010-04-26T12:13:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, April 24th, was the Miss Minnesota 2010 Contestant Workshop! I was so excited to go and see all the girls again. I arrived early to check in and hand in all my paperwork. A huge surprise to me was seeing our beautiful opening number dresses sitting on the check in table for all the girls! You will fall in love with our dresses this year. They are strapless, RED cocktail dresses that look stunning! They will look amazing on stage.

After getting aquainted with all the contestants we all sat down and listened to the Miss Minnesota Committee introduce themselves. We all introduced ourselves as well, saying our names, title, platform, and we had to share what we were most excited about for Miss Minnesota Week :-) I said I was most excited about the new Glitz appearance! I love any opportunity to wear evening gowns and during Miss MN week we get to put on a Glitz Fashion Show!

After introductions we got down to business. We started with Contestant Order. This year there are two nights of preliminaries so there is a "Group A" and a "Group B". I am contestant number 17, Group B which means I will be competing in Swim wear and Evening wear on Thursday night, and then Talent and On-Stage Question on Friday Night!

Next was picking roommates! This year I am roommates with Miss Morris, Sarah Matthews-Saugstad. I thought it was a little funny that Miss MOoread and Miss MOrris and rooming together :-)

Sarah and I during Workshop

After having some lunch we all split up into groups, contestants, committees and parents. We spent the rest of the day talking to some of our sponsors such as Eileen Clift, Paula Preston, and Jason Young. We took some silly photos with Paula Preston and am interested to see what is done with them :-)

I still cannot believe how fast time is going by. I have two weeks of school left and then only one month to prepare for the best job anyone could ask for! I still have much to do before Miss Minnesota week, but I just can't wait until it is here!

Always,
Bethany Beniek

TOP 24 Concert

2010-04-25T13:55:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderul experience at the TOP 24 Spirit 92.9 Concert on Friday, April 23rd! The theater was packed with hundreds of people cheering for their contestant. People were even sitting in the isle and on the stairs, it was so much fun to see so much support. There were 24 conestants that sang a 3 minute song and three judges gave you feedback in front of everyone after you were done singing. It was just like American Idol, exept there were no "Simon" judges :-) The judges gave me some great feedback! They said I had great stage presence and they loved how I connected with the audience. It was great performing in front of such a large crowd. It was a perfect rehearsal for the Miss Minnesota Pageant! Except of course I'll be singing a different song. I sang "Footprints in the Sand" by Leona Lewis for this concert. I will be singing "Who's Lovin' You" by the Jackson 5 for Miss Minnesota! Goodness words cannot describe how excited I am to perform on the Miss Minnesota Stage again!!
Although I did not make the TOP 8 for the competition, I had a great experience. There was so much talent within the TOP 24, I was just so thrilled to have been apart of it :-)

After the concert I had to grab some dinner and get everything together for the Miss Minnesota Workshop the next day!!! I was up until 1:00am and had to get up at 4:30am!! Although I got no sleep, it didn't phase me because I was simply too excited to see everyone for workshop!

Thank you SO MUCH to my wonderful committee for driving down to watch me perform! Also to my Mom, Dad, and Boyfriend for supporting me :-) Love you all!

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Magic Moments Ball

2010-04-21T10:24:00.000-07:00

On Friday April 16th, I was invited to attend the Central Minnesota's Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) Magic Moments Ball at the Civic Center located in St. Cloud. This is my second year attending this outstanding event! The night included a live band, tons of silent auction items, a three course dinner, a wonderful program, a live auction and dancing. I was so excited to attend the ball again! I had no idea what I was going to wear though. Once I looked at the invitation again I remembered that the color for BBBS is purple and it just clicked, I had to wear my purple dress! Everyone loved how I matched the theme of the evening :-)

I was the official greeter and greeted everyone who came in with a smile on my face. I met some great individuals such as Representative Steve Gottwalt, former Vikings player Todd Kalis, and of course I hung out with Irv Cross. Irv Cross is not only the director of Central Minnesota's BBBS, he is also a former professional football cornerback for the Philedelphia Eagles, and Los Angeles Rams. He is also a sportscaster and you may have watched him on TV after the Viking vs. Saints game this past year. He is such an amazing character! He and I both share a passion and dedication towards the BBBS Program and we love to talk about it together. He gets SO excited talking about the Miss MN Pageant! He would love to have Miss Minnesota Represent BBBS State wide to attract more attention to this incredible organization.

After mingling with some guests, we all sat down to have a delicious dinner! The program began, which included Irv Cross showing his appreciation for all the donations given throughout the evening. Irv recognized the staff for their hard work, and he also recognized me separately, for all the work I have been contributing to the BBBS organization. I was so honored to have stood in front of that crowd representing not only BBBS, but the Miss America Organization with the crown on my head. I hope I showed them that the contestants who compete for Miss America are hard working, passionate individuals who really want to make a difference.

After the program was over, the live auction began. The auction items were OUT OF THIS WORLD!! Some of them were, a weekend in Vegas, VIP Vikings Passes (pre-game sideline passing), two boxing gloves signed by Muhammad Ali, Signed football by Drew Brees, Signed Vikings Helmet by Jared Allen and one of my favorites the MN Twins Ceremonial First Pitch!! There are only 3 times that an idividual gets to do the ceremonial first pitch throughout the whole season and they were auctioning one of them off! It went for over $1,500! The Muhammad Ali gloves I think went for over $2,000!

The night was a huge success, over $60,000 was raised in one evening. I was so happy to of been a part of it! A huge Thank You to Irv Cross and the entire Central MN BBBS Staff! You all are incredible and I love working with you!

Always,
Bethany Beniek

ps. Sorry I don't have more photos of the evening, my camara ran out of battery :-( I'll post some as soon as I get some from the BBBS office.

"Make Me a Cover Model"

2010-04-20T18:33:00.000-07:00

I applied for the Fourpoints Magazine "Make Me a Cover Model Contest" this past month. Although I did not make the top 5, I had a great time writing my essay and having yet another photo shoot with my Mom :-) My Mom is such a great photographer and I'm so lucky I have her! Thanks Mom!

These are the six photos I sent in for the contest, I needed one photo for a "Cover Shot" and five more candid photos. I thought you all might like to see them.

New Partnership with BBBS

2010-04-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

Every chance I get I love to spread awareness about my platform, Mentoring with the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of America Organization, and the Miss America Organization. If you didn't know, I am an employee at TGIFridays Restaurant located in St. Cloud. I love working there! It has such a fun atmosphere. It's the perfect side job while I'm still studying in school.

At work I always post signs about my pageant news and about the Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization. I was thrilled to find out that a co-worker is also a Big Brother within the BBBS Organization! After speaking with my managers at TGIFridays I finally touched someone's heart to make a new partnership! The last Wednesday of every month your "little" can eat for FREE at the St. Cloud TGIFriday's! I'm filled with joy everytime I walk into work and see a big sign that says, "Big Brothers Big Sisters."

When you are a Big Brother or Big Sister within this program you get many perks when you hang out with your little. For example, if you go out to the movies, your little gets in free, and there are many other restaurants just like TGIFridays that do the same kind of partnerships :-) Not only are you making a difference in a child's life, but you're having fun and saving money! Now that's what I call a good deal!

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Pageants to Pizza

2010-04-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

On April 10th, I attended the Miss Park Rapids Pageant at the Park Rapids High School. I was invited by Savanna Tate (now Savanna Snyder) who was Miss Moorhead 2008, and my roomate at Miss Minnesota last year. Savanna organized and planned this pageant. It was so much fun to watch. Four girls were crowned that evening, Little Miss Park Rapids (K-3), Little Miss Park Rapids (4-6), Miss Teen Park Rapids, and Miss Park Rapids.

During the pageant I was asked to come up on stage along with Kathryn Knuttila, and Kaylah Dockter to talk about ourselves and our platforms. It was a great way to tell people about the Miss America Organization. Kathryn also played a piece on the piano, which the crowd went crazy over!

The pageant had an outstanding turn out! The theater was packed!

The staff even drew a picture of me :-)

My Great Uncle

On Monday April 12th I had my final fundraiser at the Pizza Ranch located in Waite Park to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network(CMN). It was by far the best Pizza Ranch Fundraiser yet!! I have done three of these fundraisers up in Dilworth and this was my thrid one in Waite Park. I was thrilled with the turn out and the generosity of my family and friends.

I want to give a HUGE Thank You the Pizza Ranch staff in Waite Park! Everyone who works there is so kind and helpful. I want to thank the managers, Britney and Jackie. You two are fabulous and I cannot describe my gratitude towards your hospitality. Thank you to my Mom, my Sister, and Travis for helping us clean tables all evening! Most of all I want to thank everyone who came in to support this outstanding organization! I am overwhelmed with thanks and happiness!

If you were unable to attend the fundraiser and still want to donate, please visit my personal CMN page to donate:

http://www.missamerica4kids.org/m.aspx?i=9703E6+A65A0B7

I have three weeks of school left. My last day of finals is May 7th. Of course my professors are craming everything into these last few weeks and I have so many papers to write and exams to take! I stay up late every night doing Miss Minnesota Preparation, such as paperwork, updating my blog, and scheduling appearances. I am a very busy individual, but I wouldn't have it any other way :-) I'm off to do some homework.

Always,
Bethany Beniek

"A Night of Inspiration"

2010-04-11T17:57:00.000-07:00

Tyler and I

On Thursday, April 8th I attended Kathryn Knuttila's "A Night of Inspiration" concert to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network. It took place at Kathryn's School, McNally Smith College of Music. It was an outstanding event! I had a great time listening to all the talent that performed. There was a full orchestra that played, piano players, violin players, guitar players, and bands! Oh and did I mention that most of the performers were from McNally Smith and all the pieces were originally composed! I was in awe of all the performers including Kathryn herself who performed several original pieces, "Reflections" and "Quintessence." I have heard Kathryn perform many times, but she surprised us by adding a violin to "Quintessence!" It is by far my favorite piece I have heard from her yet, absolutely beautiful and powerful.

One of my favorite aspects about the show was when Kathryn invited three Inspiring American's from Gillette's Children's Hospital on stage. Tyler, Rachel, Brandon and their families were there to share their stories about how they are involved with the Children's Miracle Network and how it has changed their lives. I even had the opportunity to meet Tyler after the show, an 8-year old patient at Gillette. He was such a doll! When I asked if I could take a picture with him, he said, "Why of course" and asked his Dad to hold his cookie for him. Tyler said he was really excited to attend the Miss Minnesota pageant this summer, his exact words were, "I can't wait!" It's children like Tyler who help us realize how lucky we really are! If you have not done so already, please consider donating to the Children's Miralce Network to help make differences in children's lives, children such as Tyler.

http://www.missamerica4kids.org/m.aspx?i=9703E6+A65A0B7

After visiting with friends after the show, I of course had to buy a T-Shirt that had "WHIY" printed on it. It stands for "Who Has Inspired You!" It's adorable, I can't wait to wear it during Miss MN week this year :-)

Finally I got to say hi to Kathryn and chat with her about the show. I have been good friends with Kathryn ever since I started competing in the Miss America Organization and I'm so lucky to have a friend like her. We both are very excited to compete for Miss Minnesota together.

To sum up the evening, the title was a perfect fit! It really was "A Night of Inspiration"

Thank You Mom for coming and taking all the wonderful photos!

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Spirit 92.9 Opening Act Competition!

2010-04-06T19:02:00.000-07:00

I have some very exciting news!! I auditioned for the Spirit 92.9 Opening Act Competition this evening for the chance to be the Opening Act for the incredible band Kutless on May 7th. I auditioned last year, but did not make it past the first round. I thought I'd give it another try this year and I got the "Royal Ticket!"

It felt like I was auditioning for America Idol, I was one of a crowd of people waiting to audition privately in front of three judges. We were allowed to sing one verse and one chorus of a song, I decided to sing Revelation by Kari Jobe. The judges were very nice and gave me some great feed back! They all decided to move me into the TOP 24 and gave me the "Royal Ticket" pictured above :-) I will be interviewed on the Morning Show at 7:00am tomorrow (April 7th), tune in if you want to hear more about my auditioning experience!

Once I recieved the ticket I walked out the doors and there was a video camara and everyone started cheering! I was quickly interviewed on camara which will be used to introduce me at the Top 24 Concert held on Friday, April 23rd at 7:00pm at the River of Life Church in Cold Spring. I would encourage everyone to come and help cheer me on because the judges will choose 6 individuals to continue on and the audience will vote for 2 more to continue on to the TOP 8!! I need all the support I can get!

To learn more about the competition visit http://www.spirit929.com/ .

I need to find the perfect song to sing for the concert! I can't wait! This is great practice for the Miss Minnesota Pageant!

Always,
Bethany Beniek

BBBS Story of the Week

2010-04-05T11:15:00.000-07:00

As promised, I wanted to share another story about my little sister Ashley and I. Thinking of all the incredible times we have spent together, I thought I'd share the story when I met her family for the first time.

Ashley and I had planned out when we were going to finally meet at her house, since we are a part of the school based program we always meet at school, but during Christmas break she said she would "miss me too much if we didn't see each other for a whole month!" I couldn't resist and we planned to see "The Princess and the Frog" together :-) We both LOVE Disney movies. When I arrived at her house she was so excited to introduce me to her mom, and younger sister. After chatting for a bit, Ashley and I played Disney Karaoke, singing Hannah Montana, and High School Musical songs. We took turns with the microphone and I was amazed at how talented she was! At ten years old she was hitting notes and belting her little heart out! I told her she should try and get into vocal lessons.

After singing, she showed me around her house and then finally, I got to meet DINO!! Dino is her beautiful German Shepperd!! WOW, it was a HUGE dog that was so happy. I love big dogs, I cannot wait to get one myself. Dino was trained so well, Ashley would make a simple hand gesture and he would sit, stay or fetch with the movement of her hand. Dino was incredible and I only hope I can have a dog like that someday!

After eating dinner we were off to the movie! After some soda, popcorn and a Disney Movie later, I had to take Ashley home. After taking her home we talked about how excited we were to become apart of the Community based program so we could meet together outside of school anytime we wanted.

This is just another one of many, many stories to come. If at any time you feel touched enough by these stories to be a Big Brother or Big Sister yourself, please visit www.bbbs.org to see how you can get involved in your area!

I hope we all had a great Easter Holiday! The weather is feeling great and I have been keeping myself very busy with, school, work, appearances, and Miss Minnesota paperwork which is due on April 16th! I'm almost finished though, only a couple more pieces to work on :-)

Always,
Bethany Beniek

"Jenna's Jog"

2010-03-28T18:12:00.000-07:00

Jenna and I before the run

On Saturday, March 27th I attended "Jenna's Jog" a 5K run to support Jenna, a family friend, who has been fighting a form of lymphoma cancer since she was a child. Over 500 people ran/walked in this 5K event. It was heart warming to see all the family and friends come to support Jenna. There was an impressive silent auction which I bid on several items, including golfing for two and of course Dominos Pizzas! A little fun fact about myself, I LOVE the new Dominos Pizzas :-)

I arrived at around 9am to get registered and when I saw the shirts we recieved, I was so excited! They were long, black, stretchy shirts with lime green writing (green symbolizing lymphoma cancer). I loved them! I kept in on all day.

The morning was chilly, but in a way it got me pumped up to run, so I could stay warm. Since I haven't ran in quite some time I thought I'd try and take it easy and jog the whole way. I was so proud to get 69th place out of over 500 people, my next 5K I'll try to go a little faster than "jogging" pace.

The event had an outstanding turn out and I'm so lucky I got to be apart of it. It's just a little prelude to my triathalon I will be running on July 31st in Walker, MN!!

Only 76 Days until I leave for Miss Minnesota Week!

Always,
Bethany Beniek

My Little Sister Ashley

2010-03-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

After looking over my blog I realized I haven't told anyone much about my little sister Ashley! I have been involved in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization for over 2 years now and I cannot tell you how rewarding it is to be a volunteer within this program.

I meet with my little sister Ashley every week for one hour during the school day. I am matched within the "School Based Program" which means you meet your little at their school to talk and have fun. It’s not about being a tutor, it’s about being a friend. Another program you could get involved with is the "Community Based Program" where the Bigs and Littles meet in their community to share fun activities, such as going to a movie, having dinner or simply going over to each others houses. Ashley and I are so excited to turn into a Community Based match after the school year is over :-)

Since I meet with her every week I have so many stories to tell about our relationship. I'll try and tell you one story a week since I meet with her every week. The one I'll share tonight is one that happened a few months back. Ashley and I decided to start playing card games, we played everything from Kings Corner to Count Down to War and of course Go Fish! We played multiple rounds of Go Fish and Ashley continuously won. I told her, "Why do you always win?! You are so lucky!" She looks up at me and smirks, I asked what she was up to and she finally giggled and said, "I cheated!" I was astonished and asked, "How on earth did you cheat?" Everytime I asked if she had a card she would say "Go Fish" even though she had that card and would ask me for it a couple turns later! That little mischievous girl! I told her I refuse to play go fish with her ever again. We laugh about it every time we take the cards out, and of course we still play Go Fish, but without the cheating ;-)

Ashley is one heck of a card player and let me tell you, I'm 21 years old and it took me a good month to learn how to play 500. Ashley knows how to play like a pro and she is only 10 years old! Anyone want to play against Ashley and I, I'll warn you, we are good :-)

I have so many great personal stories and I can't wait to continue sharing them with you. I only hope that anyone who reads this seriously considers volunteering within this program. It's success is based on such a simply concept yet it provides a better future for our youth. At first it was difficult for me to see how I was making a difference just by being someone's friend, but over time I have seen how excited Ashley gets when I come to meet with her, I have recieved all the text messages from her reminding me when we are going to meet, and I can see how I could be influencing her life in a positive way. Please visit http://www.bbbs.org/ to learn how you can get involved in your local area. One of my goals as Miss Moorhead is to spread awareness of this organization and hopefully gain some more volunteers!

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Another Successful Evening at the Pizza Ranch!

2010-03-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

On Monday March 22nd, I had another opportunity to raise money for the Miss Moorhead Scholarship Organization and the Children's Miracle Network at the Pizza Ranch located in Waite Park. This was my fifth Pizza Ranch fundraiser and I only have one more to go which will be on Monday, April 12th. I am getting significantly closer to my goal and I can't wait to see if I get there! I am also in the process of organizing the "One Dollar Donation Fundraiser" which will take place during the month of May to give one last push to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network! Living in a time of economic hardships, I realize it's difficult to get large donations which is why I came up wth the "One Dollar Donation Fundraiser." I will be attending numorous events within the month of May asking any individual to donate $1 to this cause. Its a great way to raise money and it's not hurting anyone's wallets :-)

Let's start the donating now! If every one of my friends donated $1, I know I could reach my goal! Please go to my personal CMN site below to donate.

http://www.missamerica4kids.org/m.aspx?i=9703E6+A65A0B7

Only 81 Days until I leave for Miss Minnesota Week!
Always
Bethany Beniek

Upcoming Events:
March 27th - 5K run at Gold's Gym to raise money for Jenna Kalla, a friend who is currently going through Chemotherapy. If you would like to join me for this run, please visit http://www.jennasjog.webs.com/
April 8th - Kathryn Knuttila's "Night of Inspiration" Concert http://misstwincities.com/default.aspx
April 12th - Pizza Ranch Fundraiser in Waite Park 5:00-8:00pm
April 24th - Miss Minnesota's Contestant Workshop!

The Royal Experience

2010-03-07T21:32:00.000-08:00

On Friday, March 5th I had the opportunity to attend the "Royal Experience" for the second year in a row. Stacie Mcbride-Cox coordinates this event that involves many, many little girls who want to learn more about inner beauty. This is an incredible event for all young girls! Some local title holders such as myself volunteered to help out and teach what true inner beauty is. It's not the clothes you wear or the hair style you have, it's the personality you attain and the spirit you carry within yourself.

The night consisted of room decorating, dressing up, putting make-up on, eating and the main event...the talent show! I sang a song and wore a sparkly dress to impress the little girls. All the title holders brought autograph cards and we did some autograph signing after the show. All of our hands hurt by the end of the evening! I guess they are getting us ready for Miss Minnesota Week:-)

My spring break is officially over and I'll be back in school! I cannot believe how fast time goes by. Only 89 Days until I leave for Miss Minnesota!!

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Three Day Adventure in Moorhead!

2010-03-04T18:33:00.000-08:00

Stephanie Tollefson, Miss Fargo, is a nurse at the MeritCare Hospital

Cactus bread at 5AM in the morning :-)

Meet Alfonz :-) The Mascot of the MeritCare CMN Hospital

Hilary and Lane gave us a great tour of the hospital

Elaine had some great stories to share with us! Thank you Elaine

This is Tony, He sure was good with the ladies ;-)

Baby Alfonz was my favorite!

Reading to the children at the Early Years Enrichment Center

Her name was Bethany too :-)

The Manager Dean Larsen, you are the greatest!

I met Tay earlier at her school

Some more friends we met at the Pizza Ranch

Ron gave the best tour, Thank you Ron

Ron was very enthusiastic :-)

The first week of March was my spring break away from school. Since I had some time off, I decided to spend time in Moorhead. My committee had set up some incredible appearances for me and I couldn't wait to get started! I arrived on Monday March 1st to attend another Pizza Ranch fundraiser in Dilworth to raise money for the Miss Moorhead Scholarship Organization and the Children's Miracle Network. It was a wonderful evening filled with fun and food! After the fundraiser I spend the night at the Courtyard Marriot Hotel in Moorhead, who graciously donated two nights for me and my committee member, Melissa, to stay in for the week. The room was incredible and the service was perfect! A huge thank you to the Courtyard Marriot Hotel for giving me a place to stay.

On Tuesday March 2nd I had the opportunity to visit with pre-kindergarten children between the ages of 4 and 5. I read a few books to them and sang a couple of songs. When I grew up, I remember singing songs like the "itzy bitzy spider" and "patty cake," but now children are singing about "sticky sticky bubble gum" and "stinky cake!" Yes, I spelled that correctly, "Stinky cake!" They were great songs to sing and I learned the hand actions to them as well :-) I will never forget those energetic children. One little boy asked me if I lived in a castle! What a cutie. Thank you so much to the Early Years Enrichment Center for letting me come and visit with the children, I had a blast!

After visiting the Early Years Enrichment Center, I was off to the meet with Moorhead Public Service to take some photos and meet with some employees to thank them for their ongoing support of the Miss Moorhead Scholarship Organization. Did you know that Moorhead has the best tasting water in Minnesota! How exciting! I took a photo with a liter flask of water as well :-) Another big thank you to the Moorhead Public Service!

Later in the day I decided to visit the Hjemkost Center. The Hjemkost Center is the home of a Viking Ship replica built by a man named Robert Asp and his family. They sailed it all the way to Norway from Minnesota in 1984. This Viking Ship is a historical symbol of Moorhead. I had a detailed tour of the ship by a very enthusiastic tour guide named Ron. I was so thrilled to learn about Moorhead's history. Not only do I want to compete for the title of Miss Minnesota this June, I want to represent Moorhead to the best of my ability and I think it's important that I learn about its history. Thank you so much Ron for the tour!

Later in the evening Paige Meyer, Miss Red River Valley Outstanding Teen, joined us at the hotel. We were going to be on the Valley News at 5:00AM and we thought she should spend the night with us. We went to bed early and woke up at 4AM on Wednesday March 3rd! Although I may have been tired, I was so excited to be interviewed on the news. Did I mention it was going to be LIVE :-) Paige and I were interviewed 5 separate times within one hour by a very animated host named Steve. Steve made waking up at 4AM easy! He was reciting Shakespeare, singing, and dancing. I couldn't stop laughing at this gentleman. One of the main reasons we were interviewed on the News was because we wanted to promote another fundraiser we were having at the Pizza Ranch that evening. We talked about the Pizza Ranch and what we were raising the money for. I want to give another big thank you to the manager of Pizza Ranch in Dilworth, Dean Larsen! He opened the Pizza Ranch doors for us at 5am and made us some incredible cactus bread. If you haven't ate at the Pizza Ranch, cactus bread is dessert pizza that tastes like a warm, cinnemon role. It was a perferct treat to have early in the morning.

After our successful Valley News interviews, we went to visit the MeritCare Hospital which is an affiliated hospital with the Children's Miracle Network. Just like the CMN Hospital in St. Paul, the MeritCare Hospital is very well designed and decorated. While I was getting a tour by Hilary Mork, she was explaining all the docorations to us. I felt like I was walking through a Disney Land Village. I can see how all of the Children feel at home even in a hospital. One of my favorite decorations was Alfonz :-) He was their mascot. Alfonz was an adorable statue of a mouse who held out his arms opened wide to welcome all children into the hospital. In the neonative care unit they even had a baby Alfonz statue! So cute!

Paige and I visited with a couple of patients staying at the hospital. First we met with Jada, a little girl who had just had her tonsils removed that morning. She was so excited to see us, her eyes lit up when she saw our crowns. Although she may have been in pain she still had the energy to tell us that she thought we looked very pretty. Jada had a very kind personality and I couldn't tell her enough how beautiful her big brown eyes were. Thank you Jada for spending time with us. I hope your recovery went well!

The next patient I met with was a 14 year old girl named Morgan going through Kemo Therapy. When we walked in she was doing a crossword puzzle and watching "Home Improvements." I loved that show when I was growing up and we immediatly connected. As I was speaking with Morgan I couldn't help but notice how mature she was. She was a very strong individual who wasn't afraid to talk about her condition. Could you imagine being a freshmen in high school and being diagnosed with cancer? Could you imagine being a 14 year old girl and not having any hair? Morgan was an inspiration. I hope you all can think of Morgan and realize how lucky we are. Next time we argue about a bad hair cut remember that you are lucky to even have hair. I am so thrilled that the Miss America Organization has partnered with the Chilren's Miracle Network. What a worthy organization to raise money for!

Please consider making a donation to the Children's Miracle Network. If you are interested visit http://www.missamerica4kids.org/m.aspx?i=9703E6+A65A0B7

Become of a fan of the Children's Miracle Network on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/childrensmiraclenetwork?ref=tc

After visiting the Hospital we went to visit the Eventide Nursing Home and Assisted Living home. The first stop was the Assisted living home. Paige and I both gave a 20 minute presentation about ourselves and then visited with the residents. I met an older lady named Anne who connected with me. I had told everyone that I had recently had ear surgery and that I couldn't hear out of my left ear. Anne took me by the hand and said, "I can barely hear out of both my ears darling, I know exactly how you feel" and winked at me. This is the second time I had visited the Eventide Assisted living home and they all have such an incredible sense of humor! Thank you to the residents who came down to visit with me!

Down the hall from the Assisted Living Home was the Nursing Home. We gave a shorter presentation and gave out autograph cards to the residents. Everyone was so kind. I felt like a real celebrity! Everyone cheered for Paige and I when we arrived and when we left. They were so excited to take my photo back to their rooms and show them off to all their friends. I'm so glad I could make someone smile for the day :-) Thank you to the Eventide Assisted Living and Nursing Home for letting us join you, it was a great experience.

To end my three day adventure in Moorhead, we were off to the Pizza Ranch fundraiser. It was so busy! I can't believe how many people get up at 5am to watch the news because almost everybody said, "I saw you on the News this morning!" It was a great success. I met many families and children who were excited to not only eat pizza, but to give back to the Children's Miracle Network. I am overwhelmed with gratitude to the city of Moorhead for all of the support given to me this year.

After eating some pizza of my own, I got back in the car with my parents for a two and half hour drive back home. About an hour after we started driving, I realized I had left my phone in Melissa's car! We were not about to turn around so my phone is in the mail at this moment waiting to be in my hands again :-)

I want to give a special thanks to:

The Courtyard Marriot Hotel for donating their rooms for me to stay in while I was in Moorhead!

Moorhead Public Service for their ongoing support of the Miss Moorhead Scholarship Organization.

The Early Enrichment Center for letting me come visit with the children.

Pizza Ranch in Dilworth, and manager Dean Larsen for letting us use the restaurant for two more fundraisers.

The Eventide Nursing/Assisted Living Home for letting us come and visit with the residents.

Hilary Mork, the CMN Coordinator at the MeritCare Hospital in Fargo for giving us a great tour of the hospital.

My parents for driving me around and taking photos for me.

My committee, Melissa, Amber and Shelley for setting up these incredible opportunities for me. I had a very memorable time.

Always,

Bethany Beniek

The Sweeps Pageant!

2010-02-28T13:55:00.000-08:00

Saturday February 27th, nine beautiful and talented women competed for the titles of Miss City of Lakes 2010 and Miss West Metro 2010. Miss Minnesota was severely sick and was unable to attend the pageant to crown the new title holders. Since I was Miss City of Lakes 2009 and Kathryn Knutilla was Miss West Metro 2009, we were asked to give a performance and crown the two new lucky ladies :-)

This was such an honor and Kathryn and I were very excited to be apart of the show. I sang the National Anthem and Kathryn performed a beautiful piece on the piano. I arrived a couple of hours before the pageant to get to know the contestants a little bit before the show started. All the contestants seemed like they were having a lot of fun! Everyone looked incredible and I knew the judges had a very difficult job ahead of them. I was put to work by the contestants as well :-) I put on multiple false eye lashes and did quite a bit of back combing before the show started!

Kathryn and I had the opportunity to be interviewed on stage during the pageant. We were asked about what our past year has been like, the benefits of competing in the sweeps pageant and of course we told a couple stories about competing for Miss Minnesota last year.

During intermission it was so great to chat with all the local title holders again! It was a great outcome, almost everyone was there!

Now the time came to crown the new title holders! I have never crowned anyone yet and I was so excited! I had many bobby pins ready in my hand. Congratulations to the New Miss City of Lakes 2010, Liz Abbas! I gave her a big hug and tried to put the crown on her head as fast as my hands could move. I was so proud that I put the crown on straight!

Now it was Kathryn's turn, congratulations to the New Miss West Metro 2010, Siri Freeh! Kathryn needed a little assistance putting on the crown but it turned out perfect! Two new title holders in one night!

It was a night filled with fun and laughter and it made me realize how excited I am to compete for the title of Miss Minnesota this summer. Can you believe it's only 104 days away!

I am on spring break for this next week and will be up in Moorhead making many appearances and having two more fundraisers! Stay tuned, there will be many blog updates this next week :-)

Always,

Bethany Beniek

National Pancake Day!

2010-02-23T12:56:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, February 23 was National Pancake Day at IHOP! All IHOP's across the nation donate a free short stack of pancakes to anyone who comes in to eat. All they ask for in return is any kind of donation towards the Children's Miracle Network!

I celebrated National Pancake Day at the IHOP located in Waite Park. Since I have class all day I decided to go in for just an hour before class in the morning. I spoke with everyone who came in and told them all about The Children's Miracle Network to hopfully persuade them to donate :-) Everyone who donated put their names on the CMN Balloon and we taped them up for everyone to see (as shown in the photo above)!

Thank you to the Waite Park IHOP for letting me make an appearance at your restaurant! I had a great time.

Always,
Bethany Beniek

Pizza Ranch Fundraiser

2010-02-15T20:47:00.000-08:00

On February 15th, Pizza Ranch located in Waite Park hosted a fundraiser for me to raise money for the Miss Moorhead Scholarship Organization and the Children's Miracle Network! It was a great success, almost my entire family came. It was amazing to see so much support! I am very lucky to have had such a fortunate evening filled with incredible oportunities and conversation.

The Pizza Ranch staff was so great to work with! The manager, Brittany, competed in pageants a few years ago! She was Miss Nisswa :-) We shared many laughs and of course did some "pageant talk." We had such an incredible evening that the Waite Park Pizza Ranch has invited me back to have 2 more fundraisers!! They will be held on March 22nd, and April 12th!! How exciting!!

I want to thank the Pizza Ranch for such a successful evening! I also want to thank all my family and friends that attended this fundraiser, if it wasn't for you it wouldn't have been so triumphant :-) And last but certainly not least, Thank you to my Mom and my boyfriend Travis for bussing the tables, you kept all the tables so clean and worked extemely hard during those three hours! We couldn't have done it without you!

Always,

Bethany Beniek

ps. I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day. My boyfriend surprised me with an incredible bouquet of flowers and took to me to see the movie "Valentine's Day." I loved it!! He also got me a "Shure Beta 58A" microphone!! I have been wanting a nice microphone to practice with for a long time now and he got me one :-) It was so nice to take a break for a day, away from work, away from school, to simply relax and spend some time with someone I love ;-) I hope everyone found some time to do the same!

Letter from the Mayor

2010-02-12T21:59:00.000-08:00

Thank you Mayor Voxland for this very thoughtful note!!

Always

Bethany Beniek

Miss Coon Rapids 2010

2010-02-07T13:36:00.000-08:00

After singing the National Anthem at St. Ben's, I drove down to attend the Miss Coon Rapids Pageant. When I arrived, the auditorium was packed with many people. This was the 50th year anniversary of the city of Coon Rapids. There were many past Miss Coon Rapids who attended and told their favorite memories to the audience, even the Mayor of Coon Rapids got up on stage and said a few words.

The pageant was filled with beautiful and talented women. Miss America's Outstanding Teen, Jeanette Morelan, was a special guest! I was so excited to see her perform her talent, I even got to meet her during intermission, what a delightful young women! Someone told me that she was only 14 years old! Unbelievable!

I was looking forward to seeing Brooke after the Miss America Pageant to hear all about her experience, but the poor woman was sick!! She lost her voice :-( I hope you get better soon Brooke!!

Congradulations to the first runner up, Quinn Nystrom, and the new Miss Coon Rapids 2010 Allison Lordbock!! Only one more local pageant until the contestant workshop! I hope to see you all on February 27th at the Sweeps Pageant :-)

Always,

Bethany Beniek

National Girls and Women in Sports Day Celebration

2010-02-07T12:19:00.000-08:00

On February 6th, I had the opportunity to sing the National Anthem for the St. Ben's vs. Concordia College girls basketball game. If you didn't know I am a student at the College of St. Benedicts and Concordia College is located in Moorhead, so I was really representing both teams :-) I'm sure everyone was confused when I was wearing a St. Ben's Blazers sweatshirt with my Miss Moorhead sash and crown. The gym was packed and it was great to see so much support on "National Girls and Women in Sports Day." Thanks Dad for video taping and Mom for taking photos!

Always,

Bethany Beniek

Miss America 2010!!

2010-02-01T13:43:00.000-08:00

And the New Miss America 2010 is....

MISS VIRGINIA - CARESSA CAMERON

This past Saturday I watched Miss America 2010 on TLC at my own Miss America party :-) My mom and sister decorated our basement with pink streamers and bought everyone little crowns to wear. My dad pulled down the projector and we watched it in life size!! As you can see from the photos it was almost like I was there!! We tried to buy healthy snacks to eat like fruit pizza, and juice boxes. I don't think I have ever been as excited to watch Miss America as I was this year. Maybe it was because I actually knew our Miss Minnesota, Brooke Kilgarriff. Throughout the entire week I kept myself updated on how she was doing. She was Quality of Life Finalist, and non-finalist talent winner. Brooke represented Minnesota so well!

When they named the top 15 finalists, I really had no idea who was going to win. It wasn't until the on-stage questions where I finally chose Miss Virginia to be the winner. Everyone had great bodies, decent talents and evening gowns. This is where I realized how important interview is within this system, which is one of the reasons I respect the Miss America Organization so much. It doesn't matter if you have the perfect body, the perfect evening gown, or even perfect talent, if you want to be Miss America you must be able to speak! When I watched the 20 minute press conference of Caressa Cameron after she was crowned, she amazed me. She was so genuine, confident and passionate about everything she was talking about. What an intelligent woman to be representing our great nation.

Time has been flying by! I've been so busy I have learned to value every spare second. I will be singing the National Anthem for the St. Ben's vs. Concordia girls basketball game this Saturday, February 3rd. It is the "National Girls and Women in Sports Day Celebration." After that I will be driving down to attend the Miss Coon Rapids Pageant :-) Hopefully I'll see you all there!!

Always

Bethany Beniek

Moorhead Mayor - Mark Voxland

2010-01-12T15:53:00.001-08:00

On January 11th I was asked to sing the National Anthem when the elected Mayor, Mark Voxland, and the city counsil members of Moorhead took their oath of office. I was so thrilled to be apart of this event. I had the opportunity to meet Mayor Voxland and many other incredible officers.

When the ceremony began the officers marched in and we all said the pledge of alligiance. When the pledge was over, Mayor Voxland introduced me to sing the National Anthem. I love singing our country's song, it is trully beautiful. I'm so happy that I have become apart of the community of Moorhead, they have welcomed me with open arms :-) Thank You Moorhead!

Always,

Bethany Beniek

Brooke's Send Off Party

2010-01-11T08:34:00.001-08:00

On January 9th I attended Brooke's Send Off Party to Miss America!! I was so excited to see Brooke perform her talent again. I love watching her sing, she is so talented! The audience got to see her arrival outfit, on-stage question dress, interview outfit, talent gown, and of course evening gown :-) She looked fabulous in every outfit and I have no doubt that Brooke will be the perfect representative for Minnesota during Miss America this year!! I can't wait to watch!!

All the local title holders came earlier in the day to visit Gillette's Children's Hospital, but our chaperone from Gillette was sick and we had to change plans last minute. We had some "girl talk" with Miss Minnesota instead!! It was so nice getting to know everyone and hearing all about Brooke's year thus far. Once again we have some incredible women competing this year and I'm already counting down the days until Miss Minnesota this June!! Only 151 Days to go!!

Always,

Bethany Beniek

Ringing the Bell for Salvation Army

2009-12-26T22:46:00.001-08:00

I volunteered to ring the bell for the Salvation Army this Christmas season for a few hours in Moorhead. This was my first time ever volunteering to ring the bell and I'm so glad I did. Sure it may have been a little cold, but I really saw the best in people. Almost everyone who passed by had to give a few dollars or any change they had in their pockets. It was nice to see such generosity, especially going towards a great cause.

The Salvation Army provides hot meals for people who do not have the funding to feed themselves. I have to sit and give thanks everyday for the blessings I have been given. Something that may seem so simple, like getting up to have breakfast is something that many others do not have the comfort of having. The Christmas season is about giving :-) I hope we all found a way to give back to our community this holiday season!!

Always,

Bethany Beniek

CMN Fundraiser

2009-12-26T22:32:00.000-08:00

Pizza Ranch located in Dilworth, directly outside of Moorhead, agreed to partner with me and the Miss Moorhead Organization to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network (CMN). Fifteen percent of all the sales that evening was contributed toward the fund. It was a great success!! We made more than our goal of $250!! Thank you Pizza Ranch for hosting this event and everyone who came to support this great cause and to eat some incredible pizza!!

Bethany Beniek

Eventide Nursing Home

2009-12-25T15:24:00.000-08:00

On Monday, December 21, Paige and I went to visit the Eventide Nursing Home located next to Concordia College. We got to serve cheese cake and coffee and visit with the residents. One of my favorite conversations was with Bessie and Gladis. They were dear friends who play aggregation together every evening. I used to play that game with my grandma when I was younger and I forgot how fun that game trully is :-)

Bessie has a cat named Arthur who loves to be pet, they said he is sooo spoiled! I know when I get a pet it will be spoiled too! They were so lively and chipper it was nice to talk with them. They of course had to make fun of their own age and I finally asked them, "How old are you?" and they replied cheerfully, "Oh hunny I'm 93, and Gladis here is 91." I was SHOCKED!! They did not act that age at all, I told them they didn't look a day over 70 and we shared a laugh.

They gave me some tips of wisdom that I will never forget:

Tip #1 - Keep your mind working, play simple games like sudoku or aggregation to keep your brain running

Tip #2 - Sit up straight, don't get used to slouching or otherwise it will catch up to you

and Tip #3 is the most important - Always have a good sense of humor!

Thank you Bessie and Gladis! It was so nice meeting you!

Always,

Bethany Beniek

Big Brother's Big Sister's

2009-12-19T20:52:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays everyone! Now that finals are over and after having a few days to recover from the semester, I finally have some time to sit down and tell you a little bit about my little sister Ashley. Now she isn't my "real" little sister, we were matched together through the Big Brother's Big Sister's (BBBS) of America Organization. We meet together once a week for an hour during school and simply hang out, chat with each other, and play games :-) Ashley and I were matched in September and we clicked immediatley! We couldn't stop talking, we had so much in common. She even has a German Shepard as a pet, which by the way will be my future dog (I LOVE DOGS-I never had one because my mom was allergic)! Ashley is in 5th grade and recieved her first cell phone in October, we have been texting each other almost every day since then!

If you didn't know, "Mentoring with the Big Brother's Big Sister's of America Organization" is my personal platform and I have been involved with promoting this incredible association for over 2 years. Please visit http://www.bbbs.org/ if you want to learn more about the program and how you could get involved in your area. The movement of BBBS has been helping children for over a century and is deemed the most effective youth mentoring program in the United States. Its success is based on an exceedingly effective, yet surprisingly simple concept: a One-to-One friendship between a mature, caring adult volunteer and a child who can benefit from that friendship. The organization reaches out to all children between the ages of 6 and 18, but places a special emphasis on the children who are deemed "at-risk," many of whom reside in a single parent household. One of the most rewarding characteristics of being a big sister myself is forming a strong friendship with someone who really looks up to you. I love getting texts from Ashley saying, "When are we meeting next week?!" when we just met earlier that day. Not only does she get excited to see me, but I get very excited to see her as well :-) I don't consider it volunteering anymore, it's just time out of every week to hang out my good friend.

With Christmas rapidly approaching I wanted to get Ashley something special, but I didn't want to just buy her something from the store, I wanted to get her something that we could do together. So I decided to make a Tie Blanket with her that she could keep as her gift :-) We had a lot of fun making it! It's tye dye on one side and blue on the other. The photo is of Ashley and I showing off our final product :-) She said her other sister at home will be so jealous, I laughed and told her that she should probably share it with her.

I can't tell you enough how this organization has changed my life and how important it is to think about becoming a volunteer yourself. Just within a 10 county radius of the greater twin cities there are over 800 children on the waiting list to get a big brother or sister. Children who simply want someone to rely on, someone they could talk to and possibly get help from. If you have any questions about BBBS, please don't hesitate to ask me!

I hope everyone is getting their Chritmas shopping done and getting their stretchy pants out for all those home cooked meals :-) I can't wait for my Mom's cheesy mashed potatoes, I can honestly eat 4 helpings!!

Always,

Bethany Beniek

Miss Minnesota's CD Release Party

2009-11-29T21:21:00.000-08:00

I have been looking forward to Brooke's CD Release Party for quite some time. It was held in the Best Buy Rotunda at the Mall of America on Sunday, November 29th from 1:00-3:00pm. Before the concert, Brooke held a Pre-Event Party for the Gillette Children and local title holders. We were able to meet and visit with many children who have been helped by the Children's Miracle Network (CMN), one of them being Brandon Wittrock, CMN 2009 Champion! He remembered me back when I met him this past summer at the Minnesota Zoo :-)

After visiting and eating, we had an hour to spare before the concert began. Some of the girls and I quickly visited the dress store Glitz!, which is a sponsor for the Miss Minnesota Organization! Of course I wanted to buy about ten more dresses, but I had to resist.

The concert was incredible. Brooke sang all three of her songs from her CD, Carry You Through, Jo Bender performed two songs on her fidle, and the band Select Three serenaded us with multiple songs. At the end of the concert all the local title holders were asked up on stage to present the giant check to Brandon which totalled $9,000!! Brandon said he felt like a millionaire holding that huge check :-)

Thank you Brooke for making this entire event happen! It was a beautiful concert for such a great cause!

Always,

Bethany Beniek

Fargo Force Hockey Game

2009-11-28T13:13:00.000-08:00

I had the incredible opportunity to sing the National Anthem for the Fargo Force Hockey game on Friday, November 27th at the Urban Plains Center. The arena was very nice! The building was only a couple years old so everything was very high-tech :-)

I have sang the national anthem many times for high school basketball games, and football games, but I have never sang it in a stadium that holds over 5,000 people! When I arrived I had a sound check, it was so surreal hearing myself sing in a such a large place. I had some time before the game began so I walked around and watched the hockey players warm up.

When the time came to sing, I met up with Whitney, who lead me to the penalty box. We walked by the players' locker room. I have never smelt anything quite like a Hockey Locker room! It smelt nothing like roses that's for sure!

I waited in the box and within seconds the Fargo Force rushed out onto the ice! The lights were flashing, the players were being introduced, and I kept singing the first three words to myself so I would start on the correct note. Finally, "and please welcome, Miss Moorhead, Bethany Beniek, as she sings the National Anthem."

My boyfriend Travis, was nice enough to video tape me singing on his camara :-)

Fargo Force won 5-4 in overtime! Go Fargo!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T07:25:00.000-08:00

I want to say Happy Thanksgiving! When I woke up this morning, I realized how thankful I am for everyone in my life and for everything God has blessed me with! I want to offer my expressions of thanks and gratitude for all the good things, big or small :-)

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

Fargo-Moorhead Parade of Lights

2009-11-25T13:03:00.000-08:00

Paige and I had the opportunity to be in the Fargo-Moorhead Parade of Lights on Tuesday November 24th. I have never been to a parade that was later in the evening and that wasn't in the summer! When I arrived I saw a big red truck that we were going to ride in, it was decorated with many christmas lights and a big silver christmas tree! I realized why it was called the "Parade of Lights."

Many of the floats were decorated beautifully. As Paige and I walked around to check out all of the other floats, we met a large group of Harley bikers whom all had lights on their Harleys, a big ginger bread cookie, and the Grinch! Not to mention we got to lounge around in a hummer stretch limo that was promoting Toys for Tots :-)

Before the parade began I put two pairs of socks on, three coats, a scarf and gloves. I stayed very warm! There were many people who attended the parade. I have never seen so many bundled up toddlers in my whole life. They looked like colorful little marshmallows waving back at us :-)

Thank you Melissa, Amber and Shelley for decorating the truck, Ryan for letting us borrow your truck, and Travis for driving us through the parade! I appreciate all your help!

Once the parade ended we all agreed that we needed some food. We went to the Pizza Ranch (one of my favorite places to eat-I have many). I brought in some autograph cards to hand out to some of the children who attended the parade. Later on, some employees were asking for some cards to give to their children at home :-) We got in contact with the manager who agreed to host a fundraiser for the Children's Miracle Network (CMN) for me on December 21st. I need to raise $250 for the CMN for Miss Minnesota and I'm so grateful that the Pizza Ranch has agreed to help me! Fifteen percent of sales are donated towards the fund between the hours of 5-9pm and any tips recieved from bussing that evening will also be contributed! If anyone is within the Moorhead area on December 21st please eat at the Pizza Ranch for a good cause!

Upcoming Events :Friday, November 27 - Singing National Anthem for Fargo Force Hockey

Sunday, November 29 - Miss Minnesota's CD Release Party

Monday, December 21st - CMN Fundraiser at Moorhead Pizza Ranch

I made Miss Minnesota's Blog!

2009-11-20T13:15:00.000-08:00

I saw that Brooke updated her blog! I love reading about her appearances and what she has been up to. As I was scrolling down I saw the picture of us from Miss Mankato! I feel like a celebrity (I know that sounds silly) but many people read her blog and it was such an honor to see that picture :-) check it out at www.mismn09travles.blogspot.com

Miss Mankato 2010

2009-11-15T14:21:00.000-08:00

I attended the Miss Mankato 2010 pageant on November 14th at the Fitzgerald Campus Theater. There were 10 fabulous contestants that put on quite a show! There was such a variety of talent, from baton twirlers to singers to dancers and monologues. Their theme was "Miami Heat." They even had three male dancers come out during the opening number and do some break dancing! It was rather entertaining :-) Before the show I caught up with the newly crowned Miss Capital City, Kaylah Dockter, and Miss North Metro, Tiffany Gunderson. Of course I had to say hello to Papa Kilgarriff (aka Miss Minnesota's Dad) who was selling Brooke's CD for the Children's Miracle Network. I had the opportunity to speak with Brooke about her preparations for Miss America and her CD release party on November 29th which I'm very excited to attend! After intermission the visiting royalty went back stage to introduce themselves at the begining of the second half. We were told backstage to say our name, title, platform, and your favorite part about your year of service so far. I was thinking to myself, okay this is easy I can do this. Well, they call us out on stage, as we are walking across stage, my left high heel decided to slip off my foot in front of me! How embarrassing! I tried to play it off cool by lighty kicking it until I got to where I was suppose to stand on stage. I reached down (while always having a smile on my face) to put my shoe back on. When I was handed the microphone I told the audience my name, title, platform, and continued to tell them my favorite part about my reign so far of being matched with my new Little sister Ashley, and then said that my most embarrassing moment is this evening, and everyone began to laugh. Once we got off stage the visiting royaly and myself started to laugh about my clumsy moment and we of course had to re-enact it in the hallway :-)

Congradulations to the New Miss Mankato 2010 Samantha Phillippi!

Crowning to Appearances

2009-11-14T09:51:00.000-08:00

These are all the lovely ladies who competed for Miss Moorhead 2009

Miss Moorhead 2008, Savannah Tate and Miss Moorhead 2009, Me :-)

Local Titleholders at Miss Twin Cities/ Miss Capital City Pageant

My first appearance at the Miss North Metro Pageant

Let the Blogging Begin!

2009-11-14T09:22:00.000-08:00

I finally got my blog created and I can't wait to archive everything I do this year as Miss Moorhead 2009! I was crowned on September 12th, 2009 at the Moorhead High School Theater in conjunction with the new Miss Red River Valley Outstanding Teen. Since that date I have been keeping myself busy by attending all of the other local pageants; Miss North Metro, Miss Capital City, Miss Twin Cities, and Miss West Fargo. I love attending the local pageants to not only see all the talented woman compete, but to also see the other local titleholders and catch up, especially with my little sister crown Paige Meyer! I have also continued my partnership with Big Brother's Big Sisters and volunteer one hour every week to meet with my little sister Ashley. She is ten years old and recieved her first cell phone over halloween weekend! We have been texting each other non-stop ever since!