My Favorite Appearance (3/15/09)

When I started lessons a month ago, I had a hunch that Dancing with Chicago Celebrities would be an event I would never forget. I loved taking lessons at Arthur Murray Studios and my partner, Ben, made learning the cha cha so much fun. The black tie event was held in Chicago’s Hyatt Regency and I performed with Dana Kozlov of CBS, Daryl Hawks of NBC, Evelyn Holmes of ABC, Lourdes Duarte of WGN, Pat Cassidy from WLS radio, and Robbie Ventura , a cyclist on Lance Armstrong’s team. Our judges were Nick Kosovich of Dancing with the Stars, Snow Urbin from So You Think You Can Dance, and Rick Bayless from the delicious Frontera Grill – not that I’m name dropping. :) The Arthur Murray professional show was AMAZING and the instructors at all the Chicagoland locations were so encouraging and fun to work with – I’m going to miss them! To top it off, the event raised money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure and I could “practice what I preach” by doing something that I love while helping a great cause. I could go on and on about this wonderful event but will suffice it to say that this one will be hard to beat!

I started last week in Peoria at Lindbergh Middle School. The students were preparing for ISAT testing and I was happy to provide a much needed break in the day for an assembly! As always, the students were extremely respectful and provided some wonderful examples on character!

After meeting earlier this year, I was happy to reunite with my friends from Sam’s Club to speak at the Streamwood store’s morning meeting. I’m absolutely obsessed with buying in bulk and, after professing my love for their three pound bags of gummy bears, they presented me with – a three pound bag of gummy bears. I look forward to a continued relationship with these stores and the opportunity to share with their employees more about our great organization!

I drove down to Indiana the 6th and the 7th to celebrate Miss America’s homecoming. It was so exciting to see Katie and the ten other state titleholders that came to support her and I loved rooming with Miss Florida, Sierra Minott. The Miss Indiana Pageant family was so kind and accommodating and the host city of Zionsville is a must-see town in our neighboring state! We performed at “An Evening with Miss America”, signed autographs for over 1,100 people, and attended a gala in Katie’s honor. Thank you to Michael Nash for taking care of us in the “beauty bus” and for making this weekend so memorable for everyone.

On Sunday, Scott Billadeau hosted me at my very first telethon! I was on the air with Marciana Lee, Miss Kankakee, Denise Hibbard, Miss Champaign Urbana, and Desiree VonWerder, Miss Powerboat National to raise money for Easter Seals. We interacted with children, encouraged viewers to call in, and shared stories on-air about this great organization. As a testament to what’s good in our community, four-year-old Tess rooted through her “pocket book” to produce six cents. She wanted to donate it to Easter Seals because she knew it would help out kids just like her. Her generosity brought tears to my eyes and is a real reminder of how, even in times like these, if we give what we can we can make a huge difference in the lives of others.

I can’t finish this blog without mentioning Dancing with Chicago Celebrities one more time! I was at the dance studio by 6AM on Wednesday to film promotional footage with ABC and go on-air live with WGN from 7-9AM. I don’t think I’ve ever danced so early in the morning but it’s certainly a great way to start the day!

I was happy to visit the Lake Zurich Community Expo on the 14th to do a mini CC! presentation and sign autographs for over 100 vendors and their patrons. I had spoken at some of the schools in the area and was happy to be reunited with some of the students I’d met earlier in the year. Thank you to Dale Perrin and the Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce for hosting me!

I ended the week at our sponsor, Claddagh’s Irish Pub, in Geneva to help celebrate St. Patrick’s day at their Family Fun Day! I thanked patrons for coming and signed autographs for the many families that enjoyed the day together! Trinity Irish Dancers performed (and were amazing!) and they even took the time to teach me a jig! Thank you to Claddagh’s and Bruce for your continued support!

I’m up at 5:45AM tomorrow for a jam-packed week of schools! Until next time…
KT :)
Miss Illinois 2008