Scheels 5K to the Water Carnival Parade

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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