Miss Missouri News

Approximately $10,000 for Habitat for Humanity was raised at East Hills Shopping Center in St. Joseph on Saturday, January 21, during the second annual CANstruct, which also benefited area food pantries. Jacqueline Janorschke – Miss Heartland’s Outstanding Teen helped construct a radio station and tower for the Eagle Radio team out of canned goods during the event.  Food items that were donated to the pantries became art during the event. Nine teams began competing at 1PM, and built through the afternoon, as shoppers encouraged them, using monetary donations to vote for the best structure. The radio tower featured a blinking red light on top, fashioned from a tea light and red plastic cup.

“I was surprised at the rules. We had to work in teams during different shifts. I volunteered for more than one shift, but they couldn’t be consecutive shifts. I think the teams that planned ahead certainly had an advantage. Duck tape came in very handy, and it showcased another good use for those red Solo cups,” Jacqueline said.

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On January 15, Hannah Eastin – Miss Branson’s Outstanding Teen and Megan McWilliams – Miss Boone County, helped out at Natalie M. 7th Annual Fashion Show, benefitting schools around the Kansas City metro area.  This year, over 600 models helped to raise $67,000. Hannah and Megan had a blast strutting their stuff down the runway and meeting new girls and catching up with some old friends!

Cardinal fans lined up at the Hannibal stop of the 2012 Cardinal Caravan on January 14.  Miss Heartland – Emily Wood, Miss Heartland’s Outstanding Teen – Jacqueline Janorschke, and the Heartland board joined the crowd.   Fredbird, as well as several players, were in attendance including Jon Jay and Daniel Descalso, and the event was emceed by broadcaster John Rooney.  Emily asked the players about the best advice they had been given and many of the fans had photos taken with the Heartland titleholders.

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On December 15, Miss Columbia – Hanna Runyon, along with the Miss Boone County/Miss Columbia Scholarship Pageant Director Dawn Williams, attended an all-day food bank drive called “One for One” that was successful in collecting over one million pounds of food for local food banks. This event was hosted by Columbia’s firefighters and was graced with the presence and help of Columbia’s mayor and senator. Hanna and Dawn helped collect donations and food in downtown Columbia all day from generous members of the community.

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On Friday, December 2nd, Miss Springfield – Mary Bauer had the opportunity to perform at a fundraiser for Southeast Missouri State University’s Catholic Campus Ministry.  Mary is a member of Catholic Campus Ministry where she serves as the Fundraiser Chairperson. The concert was called the “Joys of Christmas.” Five students, including Mary, volunteered to use their talents to raise money for the ministry. The evening was a huge success and a beautiful way to start the Christmas season.
 
On Sunday, December 4th, Mary had the great honor of performing at the 16th annual ”Sounds of the Season” Benefit Concert. This annual event honors cancer patients in her hometown and is presided over by an honorary chairperson who has experienced cancer. Proceeds benefit the Southeast Health Cancer Programs through Southeast Hospital such as the brand new Southeast Cancer Center, hotel stays for patients and families, cancer awareness education, and retreats for cancer patients.  Mary said, “After watching my grandparents and several family and friends battle cancer, I want to be a part of the fight to defeat cancer. Each fundraiser that I am blessed to volunteer at teaches me more than I could ever ask for.”

On Friday, December 30th, Mary got to celebrate Christmas with her Miss Missouri Little Sister, Sarah Kasubke. “We had a wonderful time catching up and reminiscing on how much fun we’ve had on the Miss Missouri stage together for the past 2 years. I am so blessed to have Sarah as my little sister. Although she is still a little bit shorter and is 9 years younger than I am, I look up to her more than she will ever know. I can’t wait to see her competing in Miss Missouri one day! Seeing her beautiful smile and how much she matures each year proves how truly special the Little Sister Program is to the Miss Missouri Organization,” Mary said.
 
On Tuesday, January 9^th, Mary volunteered at the St. Mary’s Food Pantry supported by the Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri. She filled bags of food and other necessities for families in need across southeast Missouri. The Food Pantry feeds over 800 families every month.

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On December 31, New Year’s Eve, Miss Columbia – Hanna Runyon attended Columbia’s “First Night.”  First Night is a tradition for the past 30 years for the families and residents of Columbia to enjoy local music, art, and festivities to help bring in the new year. Hanna helped guide people into the auditorium to enjoy one of the local performances and pass out programs and check for admittance buttons.  She had a great time meeting local residents and spending New Year’s Eve downtown in Columbia.   

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As the 91st Miss America was crowned Saturday, Jacqueline Janorschke of DeKalb, Mo., was one of the many young women dreaming that one day she would be walking down the runway wearing a beautiful evening gown and sparking tiara. But unlike the majority of hopefuls, Jacqueline has a good chance her dream will come true, thanks in part to own natural beauty, her supportive parents and a new business in St. Joseph called Royal Princess Fashion Pageants.  Amanda Chen, the director of Royal Princess Fashion Pageants, puts on local pageants several times a year, culminating in a March pageant where winners receive college scholarships. She also works with girls and their parents going on to state and national pageants, including providing help backstage so the parents can enjoy the show.

Jacqueline is one of the teenage princesses who volunteers on weekends to help the younger girls. She became a pageant expert at an early age, starting with back-to-back wins of the Miss DeKalb crown at age 4 and the Little Miss East Hills crown at age 5. Now 14, she is the reigning Miss Heartland’s Outstanding Teen in the 13 to 17-year-old division of the Miss America pageant.  Jacqueline has many long-term goals for her future, including winning the Miss America pageant when she is 23. (It will be the pageant’s 100th anniversary). But what she really enjoys most is helping the younger girls with their dreams. She was a judge at one of Mrs. Chen’s pageants last year and witnessed a big change in one of the girls who had competed the year before.

“You could tell how much she had gotten more confident with herself and how much better she was up on that stage, speaking publicly,” Jacqueline says. “Getting confidence about yourself — that’s what it’s all about.”

Check out the full story at http://www.newspressnow.com/family/30208585/detail.html.

Miss Spirit of St. Louis’ Outstanding Teen – Ashley Cummins recently helped spread some holiday magic at the Annual Hannibal Art Council’s Holly Jolly Christmas Workshop.   Ashley, along with her sister Paige, helped teach children in attendance how to make origami Christmas Trees and fold colorful paper swans during the event held Saturday, December 3rd in downtown Hannibal.  Along with origami, children also had the opportunity to create ornaments from natural materials, snowman hot chocolate packages, edible Christmas Trees, paper chains, clay bell ornaments and decorated gift bags and gift tags to wrap their masterpieces in.  The Hannibal Arts Council provides area youth with creative activities each month and Ashley has been a familiar face at the monthly events.

Miss Gateway to the West’s Outstanding Teen – Samantha Caraway was named the Youth Spokesperson for the Northeast Missouri Suicide Prevention Grant authored by Mark Twain Behavioral Health.  This is approximately a $3,000 grant to perform prevention activities in northeast Missouri according to the Missouri State Suicide Prevention Plan.  Samantha will be featured in several public service announcements to promote awareness about mental health conditions and to reduce stigma through prevention efforts involving bullying prevention, substance abuse prevention, and childhood depression which is all tied into a larger message of youth suicide prevention.  Samantha will be working with the clinical team over the holidays to identify educational material that will be appealing to the older teen audiences.  Her first PSA will target the negative consequences of teens abusing prescription medications.