Delaware Electric Co-op Annual Meeting

Governor Markell and I


visiting the kitchen


hanging with the volunteers


we're all working hard :)


making new friends

Before I write about my wonderful time in FL I do not want to pass by the chance to tell you about my appearance the day before I left to watch MAOT. The Annual Meeting put on by Delaware Electric Co-op was held at the Harrington Fair grounds this past Tuesday. It was a great time and they had the most delicious food being served. Thousands of people showed up to the event. There were several exhibitors there displaying information for the state parks, fire safety, Easter Seals, USDA, and the like. Everyone was so welcoming and as soon as the first photo card was signed, it was game over! I loved being able to meet so many people from so many different cultures and backgrounds and generations.

Earlier that day I went up to Michael Christophers to get my hair and nails done. So my neat hair do is courtesy of Sal. There is no way I would've been able to french braid my hair like that!

It was a hot day but a great event nonetheless. Thank you so much Susan and Gene for spending the time with me.

I saw Joe Booth, Tom Wagner, Bob Walls, Governor Markell, Lt. Governor Denn, Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee, and Representative Dave Wilson all at this meeting. It is great seeing our government officials out and about at community events.

Just because...

1960's Night at State Fair Parade

1990's Night at State Fair

Big Thursday at Bower's Beach

The new DE's Junior Miss 2010, Alyssa Murray, and me

Getting some freshly made peach ice cream from Fifer's Orchards at the Wyoming Peach Festival

I have some pictures from various appearances over the last week or two that I have not posted yet that I wanted to share with you. On top of the parades at the State Fair I was also recently in a parade for the Bower's Beach Big Thursday event. My driver, Donald Tatman, has been wonderful! It is such a huge help knowing that no matter what I have a driver for my parades with a gorgeous 1965 red Sting Ray Corvette! Thank you so much Donald! I feel like parades are a great way to get the name of the Miss Delaware Scholarship Organization out to people all over the state. Typically I walk around before or after the parade to sign autographs and mingle with people. Just this past Sunday at the Big Thursday event, I had a girl's mom talk to me about how her daughter loves getting all "dolled up". I thought to myself, "Heather this is the perfect time to mention the Outstanding Teen program..." So I did! I gave her my card and told her to check out the website for more info. Who would've thought a simple parade could turn into a chance to bring in more girls to give away even more scholarships to teens and young women that are planning to further their education?

Speaking of Outstanding Teen....DANIELLE IS IN FLORIDA AS WE SPEAK! Everyone should be sure to write on her blog or facebook or contact her somehow to wish her luck as she begins her first night of prelims tonight! She has worked so hard and deserves to do well! I will be flying to Florida tomorrow morning to cheer her on for the rest of the week. Kimberly Bailey Thomas and I are driving up to Philly at 4:30 tomorrow MORNING! At least I don't have to drive up to the airport alone. Thanks for the company Kimberly!

Both the MAOT and MAO program (Teen and Miss) are excellent sources of scholarship money and personal growth. I cannot begin to explain how much the program has helped me and how much I have grown in these couple months of being Miss Delaware. Always remember that it is not about how much the gown costs or which local you compete for....it's about being yourself and letting your beauty shine while having the chance of a lifetime to compete for several thousands of dollars in scholarship and prizes! Don't ask why but I feel it is important as the upcoming pageant year begins, that people realize the potential that they have and the impact such an organization can have on their future.

I am thrilled to fly down to Florida tomorrow to meet the other 52 contestants for Miss America and to watch Danielle compete for MAOT 2010! Best wishes Danielle!

Tonight I have the Delaware Electric Coop Annual Meeting in Harrington, and after I get back from Florida the competition wardrobe shopping begins! I can't wait! Thank you for all of your support!

Governor's Day

This past week has been filled with events. I will try and keep things brief but Governor's Day alone had so much going on! It was this past Thursday at the Delaware State Fair that Governor Jack Markell and I began our day-long journey. We took a tour of some exhibits presented by FFA and 4-H dealing with agriculture and science. We then went to participate in some of the FFA games being held outside. The first one was the Egg Toss. The Governor and I teamed up for the challenge. With each successful toss we had to take a step back. One by one teams were dropping their eggs. It came down to us and another team....we were a good couple yards away...I threw the egg up high with all my might and Governor Markell caught it while the other team dropped theirs!!!! We won!!! It had been years since the Governor and Miss DE won the egg toss. I must give a lot of credit to Governor Markell for catching my crazy throws though. The rest of the day we bragged to everyone about our success.

Before the FFA and 4-H displays I was able to witness the Governor sign the last bill associated with the late Senator Thurman Adams. His two daughters spoke as well as a few friends including Representative Bob Walls. It was a touching experience to say the least.

We continued the day by going to present the bill Senator Darryl Scott and a class from Saint John Lutheran's Elementary School created to signify that the new state dessert is the Peach Pie! It was adorable to see the class standing behind the Governor as he signed each letter of his name with a different pen so that he could hand them out to the students. He wanted them to feel a part of the process the whole way through. I made sure to snag myself a sample of the peach pie they were handing out in celebration...it was delicious!

We then went to present awards to a few first places winners of the various contests within the fair. The awards went to winners for the best quilt to the biggest and best pumpkin and everywhere in between.

I then went to ride some carnival rides and look around at the grandstand vendors while the Governor spoke on the phone with Vice President Joe Biden. It was nice to have some down time before the dinner that evening. I changed and went back up to the grandstand to begin a wonderful and tasty dinner. The Governor's Dinner was sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield and they gave each guest a gift that was a glass paper weight with Senator Thurman Adams portrait and name laser etched inside. It is very beautiful, even though I did not describe it too well.

Photo By: Dave Chambers

The dinner was excellent! We had salad with rasberry vinagrette, chicken breast with crab cake, asparagus, and rizzoto, and for dessert we had cheesecake! After all of that great food, and a full stomach, I went to sing two songs for everyone. I sang Crazy by Patsy Cline and Bless the Broken Road by Rascal Flatts. It was an honor to entertain everyone with a couple country songs in honor of the fair. After that we commemorated the 90th Anniversary of the State Fair and honored the military men and women that were present.

Leroy Betts, President of Delaware State Fair, and I

By this time, both Kenney Workman, my traveling companion for the day, and I were exhausted. It was hot and we had been busy all day. So when dinner was completed and the announcements were finished we decided to head home. It was a great day despite how tired I was the next morning! I cannot thank Kenney enough for being there all day with me to carry my bags and take pictures so that I could share the day with you. I also want to thank Governor Markell and his staff for including me in the events throughout the day and being a wonderful group to share it with. I was able to meet Lt. Governor Matt Denn as well, and it was a pleasure getting to know him a little bit more at the Governor's Cup horse race we attended that day (that was my first horse race ever!). Last but not least, I want to thank the Delaware State Fair staff and volunteers for being such gracious hosts all week and for making the day as wonderful as it was.

State Fairs and Send Offs!

This week has been one crazy week so far and it is only half way through!

It all started Thursday when I went to Lady's Image with Debi up in Wilmington to find some cocktail dresses to wear to Florida. We purchased two awesome dresses and the store was incredibly helpful in finding dresses for me in my size. They had an alterations lady right there to make them fit perfectly and I will be picking them up on the 7th! Right after that I drove down to Middletown to support Danielle Marshall (MDOT 09) at the North Star Grill for her fundraiser for CMN. After that I drove back up to Debi's and stayed there for the night because we had an early morning on Friday!

I woke up at 5am Friday morning to get ready and head off to NJ with Debi for a day filled with Miss America fun! Valerie Clemens, a supporter of the Miss Maine Organization and I believe former Miss Maine, put together a wonderful day for some of us local area contestants. We started off visiting Schoppy's which is a big supporter of Miss America and has beautiful jewelry showcasing the Miss America crown. Of course we all purchased a little jewelry while we were there! Then we went to the Miss America Headquarters to have lunch with the Board and learn some history about the program and the women involved. Every Miss America's portrait is hanging throughout the office. We then of course, purchased some Miss America souvenirs. After that we went to tour the Atlantic City Boardwalk Convention Center and walked on the stage where all of the Miss America's were crowned before the pageant moved to Vegas. Then we finished off the day taking pictures in the ocean, walking through the Sheraton to see some old Miss America memorabilia, and ate dinner at White Castle which is an awesome sub shop! It was great meeting Miss Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, D.C., Virgin Islands, and New Jersey!!

Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday will be or were days that I was in the State Fair parade so there is still tonight and Friday night available for everyone to come see me in the parades! Thursday I will be with Governor Markell all day for Governor's Day and later that evening I will be entertaining during the Governor's dinner. Each night of the fair is a different decade theme to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the State Fair. So if some of my wardrobe looks a little dated thats why :) !

Sunday was a great day celebrating Danielle Marshall Miss Delaware's Outstanding Teen 2009! She is a beautiful and talented young lady and has grown tremendously just in these few months since she has been crowned and I have no doubt she will continue to grow! She is a great representative of the state and the teen organization and will certainly do us proud at the Miss America Outstanding Teen pageant in Florida. Go get 'em girl!!!

Busy Day

Saturday was a day full of events. It started off with the Delaware Electric Cooperative's Open House down in Greenwood. It was a much bigger event than I anticipated. I started off with a radio interview by WGMD and then walked around the facility to meet people and talk with them as they were finishing up their tour of the place. We then went outside where they had a demonstration of the power going through the electric lines along our highways. At that time we also sat down and enjoyed some great hamburgers and pasta salad while live music was playing in the background. Before I left, a biker asked me to go take a picture on his bike that he brought for the motorcycle competition. It was beautiful...and custom made! I'm pretty sure I look very natural on a bike :)

Next, we were off to the Little Miss Harbeson pageant down in Laurel. I was the emcee there as well as the stage hand. I interviewed each contestant on stage after they competed in their evening gowns. Then they got dressed for their patriotic wear number to the song Celebration. In preparation for the number I was given two rolls of bubble wrap and asked to spread it across the stage for everyone to dance on. I was then told I would be dancing as well, and then asked to pick up the bubble wrap after the song was done...haha who would've thought I'd be rolling bubble wrap in a sundress across the floor. I guess that's one of those moments you look back and laugh at the end of the year. I wish someone would've taken a picture of it!

When my appearances were over I came home to get ready for a BBQ put on by my state senator, Senator Colin Bonini. I went with Jonathan, because I was his guest, and yet it somehow turned into a mini appearance. Once people got wind that I was Miss Delaware they were full of questions and advice for my year. So many people were excited to help me out and were willing to invite me to their classrooms to speak or to events put on by groups they are involved in. It was very flattering, but I think that was the first time I realized the large role I play within the state. It was amazing how the night transformed.

By Sunday I was completely drained. It was my first full day of events and believe me it was tiring! But I wouldn't change it for the world! I feel so blessed and everyday something exciting happens. Yesterday I was asked by the Kent County Tourism to take a picture with their Wacky Chair that the Milford Boys and Girls Club created for the State Fair for a competition put on for the Ellen DeGeneres for show. Online voting available on these chairs check out https://www.elleevance.com/beventLive.aspx to vote! It is amazing!!!

Other than that I have been working out at the gym and playing soccer during the day. Trying to get into the gym as much as I can while I still have the time! Not sure what next week holds yet, so I will let you know as soon as I do!

A CHILDREN’S MIRACLE NETWORK FUNDRAISER HOSTED BY MISS DELAWARE’S OUTSTANDING TEEN 2009, DANIELLE MARSHALL

Middletown, DE – Danielle Marshall, Miss Delaware’s Outstanding Teen will be hosting a Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Fundraiser Dinner at the North Star Grill located on 380 E Main St, Middletown, DE 19709-1482. The dinner is scheduled on Thursday, July 23, 2009 from 5 PM – 10 PM. If you are planning on coming out to support Danielle’s efforts make sure you tell your server you are there to support Danielle and CMN. A percentage of the sales will be donated to CMN during this time frame. To see a sample of the North Star Grill’s menu visit www.mynorthstargrill.com


For the past two decades, the Children's Miracle Network has teamed up with Miss America to raise awareness and funds for children around the country suffering from life threatening diseases. We are incredibly excited to also be working closely with the Children's Miracle Network, the official national platform of Miss America's Outstanding Teen. In effort to support Danielle in raising funds for this great cause you can donate online https://www.maoteen4kids.org/m.aspx?i=11861+D1461AC86C

Fourth of July Weekend

It was a great weekend this past weekend. The weather was BEAUTIFUL! I completely lucked out from what I have heard about years past. Friday I had the Bethany Beach parade which was wonderful. Susan's daughter Stacey graciously drove me in her blue BMW convertible. There were so many people out there it was unbelievable. An A Capella men's group sang to me before the parade which was a first for me. Then Jonathan and I met Susan and Gene at their river house to catch up on the events from the day thus far. After talking with Susan and Gene, we decided to all go eat at the Georgia House in Millsboro. They had a fantastic chicken salad sandwich if anyone is in the mood for one! Then I went home and waited for my brother Josh and his wife Carrie to come down to visit for the weekend.

On Saturday my brother and my dad worked on the yard while my sister Allison, Carrie, my mom, and I cooked dessert and made the salads for the BBQ. The food was delicious! After a nice day with my family I met my driver, Donald, in his red 1965 Corvette convertible to take me to the Dover parade that night. We had a great time talking with Danielle, MDOT 2009, before the parade and I mingled with the crowd afterwards signing autographs and taking pictures. It was nice seeing so many familiar faces in Dover. Later that night we enjoyed the fireworks and had a picnic dinner.

Sunday was a day of rest for me. After church I did some shopping with my mom up at the Christiana mall and then took a nice long nap to prepare me for this week. Monday was a day filled with finalizing paperwork to send off to Miss America and picking the official photos! It was a long night but everything was accomplished and sent off. I can't wait for you to see what pictures we chose. Barry, the photographer in NY, did a fantastic job! Tuesday I trained with Trainer Dan and played soccer with my gym. Today I had my nails done and my hair styled up at Michael Christopher's Salon in Wilmington. Then I met with my vocal coach Phil Doucette while I was in the area for a lesson.

Tomorrow is Jonathan's birthday so I will be relaxing down at the beach with him and his best friend Tim. Then we are going go-kart racing! We'll see how that goes... :)

Saturday will be a busy day with the Delaware Electric Co-Op Open House and the Little Miss Harbeson pageant. I will certainly keep you posted on how they go!