A day of V.I.P. fun with the Redskins and my little friends from Recess by the River

About a week ago, the top twenty young participants from Recess By The River (as determined by officials from the DC Department of Recreation) were invited to attend a Washington Redskins football game as special guests of the Redskins and GlaxoSmithKline.

I attended the event as a chaperone (along with Mrs. Northeast International, Deanna Linz, and three chaperones from DC Dept of Rec). When we arrived, we were greeted by representatives from the Redskins and GlaxoSmithKline and invited to a private tailgate tent in the “Fan Zone” where GlaxoSmithKline had a buffet full of spiced shrimp, juicy barbecue, potato salad, warm rolls, steamed vegetables, caesar salad, grilled chicken, and gourmet brownies and cookies waiting for us. Our private tent was also all set with tables, chairs, and a heater, which was DEFINITELY appreciated by all on the cold, rainy day! After we had all had our fill of tailgate food and fun, we were led into the stadium and up an escalator to the club level, where our group occupied an entire row of seats.

At half time, we were invited as VIPs from our club level seats, complimentary of the Washington Redskins, down to the field for an awards presentation. Mrs. Northeast International and I accepted a Community Partnership Award on behalf of the American Heart Association and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation from the Redskins and GlaxoSmithKline for all of the work behind, as well as the successful production of, Recess By The River.

Though the award was given to the American Heart Association and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation as a whole, it really means a lot to me personally because, having fundraised to sponsor the most recent Recess By The River event, as well as having volunteered at every Recess By The River since the very first one, the award not only proves to me that my hard work paid off, but it also reminds me that everyone can have an impact on something bigger than themselves, which I believe is the most important concept that a titleholder can understand.

It’s so easy to get caught up in big, sparkly crowns, glitzy jewelry, V.I.P. treatment, expensive gowns, lavish prize packages, and fierce competition that many women lose sight of the bigger picture.

Though pageantry does facilitate great personal growth and can open many doors of opportunity, the point of having a crown and a sash, especially an International crown and sash, is not the potential personal gains, but rather the potential societal gains that they provide. As titleholders, we have a voice where so many do not, and we have the ability to use that voice to create  great changes in our communities, our states, our regions, our countries, and even world-wide!

The best part is, by each choosing a platform that appeals to us on a personal level, we are driven by our own personal passions to heavily pursue those large-scale changes and benefits.

I am so grateful to have experiences like this one to keep my feet planted firmly on the soil and to serve as constant reminders to me of the true meaning of the title “Miss Teen International”.

Juliana McKee

Redskins Health and Wellness Screening and Fitness Expo

I spent a beautiful Saturday at Redskins stadium-not for a game this time, but for a community Health Screening and Expo event. To attract people to come, it was advertised that the locker rooms and the field would be open to attendees. Roxanna from the American Heart Association also invited Deanna Linz, Mrs. Northeast International, to help out since her platform is the AHA too!

Deanna told me that she has been involved with the AHA for years. She also told me her personal story about how losing both of her parents to heart disease drove her to live the healthiest lifestyle she could- eating healthy and exercising regularly- and that all of that still did not keep heart disease from attacking her- she shared the very moving and personal story about her own heart attack this past year with me. Although I first met Deanna about 2 years ago when we both competed at the Maryland International 2009 pageant and have seen her around at various International state pageants and appearances since, and, again, this summer when she was one of the five judges at the Miss and Miss Teen International pageant, I had never heard her whole personal story. Listening to her was so inspiring!

Spending 5 hours manning a booth together, we got to know each other so well and found we worked great as a team! Although she was not wearing her sash and crown for this event, she is truly a queen! People were amazed to find out that this woman in her 30’s who ate right and was active had a heart attack- she opened the eyes of so many people, showing them that heart disease doesn’t discriminate based on anything- gender, race, age, or even lifestyle. She is an amazing Spokesperson for the AHA and Go Red and I hope we get to work together much more!

I spoke to the youth at the event about my story -telling them about my young cousin Erick that passed away from heart disease 2 years ago at the age of 12 as well as my struggle to overcome eating disorders, a negative self-image, and to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle and self image.

After taking some photos with the Redskinette cheerleaders, meeting some players in the health screening room, and getting some more photos with the Hoggettes, we decided to do our own health screening tests. I was excited to find out that I’m all healthy- total Cholesterol of 136, blood pressure of 107/76, and 16.5% total body fat! I’m so excited that my hard work to eat healthy and get in shape by running almost every day is paying off!

Achieving goals is one of the best things that life has to offer, especially when you physically benefit from the achievement, and I hope that you pursue your goals and feel the same achievement that getting those results gave me!

Juliana McKee