Countdown to Miss Indiana: 5 days to check-in!

In only five days, the 31 contestants competing for the title of Miss Indiana will arrive in Zionsville for the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant - I can't wait!

A part of the week I am most excited about is our visit to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.  Riley is the only Children's Miracle Network Hospital in Indiana, and all 31 of the Miss Indiana contestants will visit Riley during pageant week.  I am a Riley kid, so I am excited to go on the hospital tour and hear about all the cool things they are doing at Riley, like the new tower that will significantly increase the hospital's ability to keep children healthy in Indiana.

In addition to our visit to Riley, the Miss Indiana contestants get to spend time at the local boys and girls club and go to a cookout with the Zionsville Lions Club.  The Zionsville Lions are great friends of the Miss Indiana program and I can't wait to thank them for their support.

I've been really busy working on my interview prep and making sure I have everything perfect for my talent performance.  In the Miss America Organization, each Miss Indiana contestant gets a ten minute private interview with the judges.  Each contestant works hard to use those ten minutes for the judges to really get to know them, their personalities, passions and platforms.

Miss America is the face, the voice and the talent of the national organization, so the judges are looking for a talented Miss Indiana.  I will be singing this year at the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant on the second night of prelims, so I hope you will all be there to cheer for me.  While Miss Indiana doesn't need to be a professional entertainer, she needs to have a strong talent and be ready to share her talent at appearances.  I once sang the National Anthem at an arm wrestling contest, so believe me when I say I am always ready at a moments notice.

Miss Indiana week kicks off on Sunday with a pet parade in downtown Zoinsville.  You can get the complete schedule by clicking on my Road to Miss Indiana tab, including the times and dates of each pageant night.  If you don't already have tickets, plan to get them during pageant week at the Zionsville Performing Arts Center ticket office before each show.