Toys for Tots

I couldn't believe the day finally came! Months and months of hard work...finally paid off! From when I first started planning my calendar project to the moment where I dropped off my donation of 50 helmets to Toys for Tots, I'm just glad I was able to achieve my goal.

When I competed in Miss United Nations USA, the judges asked me how I was going to carry out my platform, "Don't be insane, protect your brain!" (helmet safety). I told them that one of my plans was to fundraise enough money to donate 500 helmets to Toys for Tots. The reason for this is because many of the children who receive gifts from this organization come from underprivileged families. Each year, they receive rollerblades, scooters, skateboards, and bicycles. I want to make sure that they also have the proper safety gear to accommodate their physical activity. However, when I spoke to Sergeant Mondragon of Toys for Tots, he said 50 helmets would be plenty. It was still a lot of work to raise enough money to hit that amount. Maybe it's a good thing my goal was 50 instead of 500. Haha.

On the day that I delivered my donations, I also volunteered at the distribution facility. I couldn't believe I forgot, but I had volunteered here years old when I was in the Upward Bound program. It's really inspiring to see the amount of people that dedicate time and effort to make this possible for the community. I also really admire the Marines who have put so much time into this program. Not only are they amazing for serving our country but because they continuously give back to the community when they're not on active duty.

I also had 2 people who came along to help me volunteer - my younger sister, Michelle and Boneet, Miss Asia Utah. It was definitely fun to have them there to laugh it up with me while volunteering.

We also had a lot of fun with the Marines, they're so welcoming and friendly! Don't let their serious faces fool you.

Got a chance to hand deliver helmets to the parents who picked up toys for their children.

As volunteers, we helped fulfilled orders for families who applied for toys.

Miss Hispanidad Utah also stopped by to volunteer for a little bit. She loves children and her inner child definitely came out when she saw all of the toys.

Thank you, Toys for Tots for giving me the opportunity to achieve my goals and give back to the community. Your organization is amazing for what it does. Glad I was able to contribute something!

Interview with ABC 4

Miss Hispanidad Utah 2013 and I were guests on ABC 4's "Good Morning Utah" show to talk about our calendar project. Coincidentally, ABC 4 is a sponsor of Toys for Tots, which is the charity that our calendar proceeds are going towards...so it works out great! The only thing that I didn't enjoy was waking up at 4 a.m. in the morning in order to be there by 6 a.m. The weather was also really bad because it was storming but we still made it there and back safely! But we'll take whatever airtime we can get!

The anchor who interviewed us was Glenn Willey, who was so welcoming! So glad that he was the one to speak with us on the air.

I talked about why I started the project, how it was brought to life, what the purpose of the project was, and how the public could help.

Carla spoke about her own personal platform about autism awareness and what she'll be using the calendar proceeds for.

At the anchor desk with Glenn Willey and Curtis Ray (meteorologist)! We sure blend right in, don't we? :)

Love our how these pictures just scream CHRISTMAS!

Thank you for waking up so early and coming with me to the interview, Carla! To watch our interview, go to http://youtu.be/wNpLsJeosAQ

Typhoon Haiyan Benefit Dinner for the Philippines

Ever since Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines and devastated thousands of people in surrounding areas of Tacloban city, people from around the world have been chipping in to send aid for the victims. Agnes Higley, my pageant director, along with other Filipino Utahns have been working non-stop during the last few years to organize a fundraiser, from collecting donations to hosting a benefit dinner. I got an opportunity to help out at the dinner by collecting raffle tickets. The turnout was great! We even ran out of places to sit for the guests!

One of our special guests was Angelica Galindez, Miss Philippines Water USA 2014. What a great person to have at this event since she's Filipino and she represents water! She's a unique individual because even though she has alopecia (a condition that causes her immune system to eat her hair follicles), she proves that pageant queens don't look like one specific mold.

The food was delicious! I gobbled it up so fast that if I didn't take a picture, I would've forgotten what I ate!

Our emcee for the night did such a great job!

These ballroom dance performers did so great even though they only had a small space to work with!

 

Jack Chen represented the Utah Taiwanese community to donate $2,000 to the fundraiser! Thank you so much, Jack!

The lovely owners of Kobe Royal Garden Restaurant were so gracious to let us use their space!

Absolutely wonderful to see a lot of familiar faces and a great turnout for this amazing cause! I enjoyed the people, food, and entertainment. We must always remember that while we sit in our comfortably heated homes with ample food and clothing, there are others who don't even have shelter for reasons they cannot control. Helping hands is what makes the world go 'round. Very proud of everyone for their collaborative efforts to assist the Philippines!