Contestant Workshop 2010

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

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

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"

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

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

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"

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!

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

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