On April 6th, I made my first official appearance as Miss Greater New York! It was for Where To Turn's Prom Expo at New Dorp High School.
Where To Turn is an organization that "provides crisis relief services for victims of any kind of tragedy by aiding them in obtaining the help they need during the recovery process." The Prom Expo was for victims of Hurricane Sandy who needed dresses for a special occasion such as weddings, a sweet 16, or proms.
Where To Turn is an organization that "provides crisis relief services for victims of any kind of tragedy by aiding them in obtaining the help they need during the recovery process." The Prom Expo was for victims of Hurricane Sandy who needed dresses for a special occasion such as weddings, a sweet 16, or proms.
Since I didn't have my sash yet (it needed to be made after the pageant) I created a name-tag for myself. I didn't want to have to wait to begin making appearances and helping others!
When I entered New Dorp, I was led to a table to check in. They welcomed me and I was directed to the room where all of the dresses, shoes, and accessories were being kept. I was shocked when I saw them all! I couldn't believe how many dresses where donated to help these students! All styles and sizes were available.
Once the guests began to enter, I met my first "client" at the front door. To my surprise, I got sisters! My job was to act as their personal stylist and find the perfect outfits for them. My mom was there volunteering, as well, so she worked with the younger sister while I looked for a prom gown with the older sister. We went thru many gowns, but I knew I had picked a winner when I found a gorgeous, yet simple, purple floor-length chiffon dress. After she tried it on, she knew it, too. Shoes and accessories completed the look.
The joy that radiated from these sisters and their mom was so rewarding. If it wasn't for this event, they may not have even had the opportunity to find anything to wear to their events. And, of course, I had so much fun browsing the dress racks!
I had another young girl after them, as well, who needed a sweet 16 dress. After a bit of searching, she, too, found the perfect dress.
I was so excited to see NY1 and Fox5 News at the event. They approached me and asked for an interview, to which I happily agreed. That night, I saw myself on the news, talking about how amazing the Where To Turn organization is and how inspirational what they did with this event was. It was awesome!
I loved having this as my first Miss Greater New York experience. I spent time with old friends and made new connections, too. I am looking forward to this year and traveling throughout the 5 boroughs & Long Island!