Nov 20th-22nd

Sorry to split mid-post, but that was really long and I could have gone on forever!

Continuing on.....

Alyssa, Anthony Shriver, Verne Troyer, and Me :)

Friday November 20th was the highly anticipated Best Buddies Miami Gala on Watson Island in Miami. The mission of the event was to 'Spread the Word to End the Word' by 'raising the consciousness of society about the dehumanizing and hurtful effects of the R word and urging people to resolve to stop using it as an insult, casual or intended'. For those that do not know, the 'R' word is the term 'retard'. I know that many people (including myself) have used the word unintentionally from the time we were young through adulthood. The truth of the matter is, that word is hurtful and dehumanizing and is NOT how you describe someone who has intellectual disabilities.

Friday night, I along with many celebrities filmed PSAs pledging to Spread the Word to End the Word. We signed a huge wall for the pledge and then enjoyed the evening events. The night started off with the largest silent auction I have ever seen followed by an incredible Live auction, dinner and a performance by Chris Brown! Celebrities in attendance included Verne Troyer, Evander Holyfield, Maureen McCormick, Vivica A. Fox, Lisa Rinna, Alonzo Mourning and his wife, Stormi Henley Miss Teen USA and Anthony Shriver who was the host for the evening.

To pledge to Spread the Word to End the Word please visit http://www.specialolympics.org/03-31-09_Spread_the_Word.aspx .

Mark Wylie, Vice President of Talent Relations and friend of the Miss Florida USA family! Thank you Mark for inviting us to the gala, it was an unforgettable evening!

The next morning I made a pit stop at La Casa Hermosa in Wellington to drop off a dress and pick up some new ones for my upcoming appearances. Twenty minutes later, I was on my way to Howey-in-the-Hills for a friends wedding. Yes Howey-in-the-Hills is a city and yes it is a very random name! But there is a resort called the Mission Inn which is a very popular wedding reception location in Central Florida. Emily Kuchar, my sister queen, married her high school sweetheart Zack Greinke after 8 years of dating.

Both individuals are equaling beautiful from the inside out as well as talented. Emily is a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and Miss Daytona Beach USA and Zack just won the American League Cy Young Award for the MLB. I am so happy for both of them as they are two people who are deeply in love! I wish them all the happiness this life has to offer :)

Twenty-four hours later, Florida Hospital was celebrating there 29th Annual Golden Gala. The picture below is actually a piece of chocolate from my dessert...lol YUMMY!

The Golden Gala is one of Central Florida's largest fundraising events. Its reputation of fantastic cuisine, spectacular entertainment and accommodations make it one of the most recognized events of the year. This year's gala took place at Disney's beautiful Coronado Springs Resort, and guests were entertained by Grammy and Academy Award winning artist, Jennifer Hudson.

The best part of the event for me was visiting with old friends. Karen Chana attended the event with me (pictured left). If you have been keeping up with my blog then you know my 'lil sis' Kaitlyn Chana....Karen is her mom and my good friend. Also pictured is Eddie Braga who assisted in organizing the first annual Let Us Entertain You Event with my womens group Femmes de Couer. The picture on the right is my contact and friend Sam O'lenick and her husband Mike. I have known Sam since I participated in the Florida Hospital Cutie Casting Call in 2007 when I was Miss Orlando. All of us spent the evening celebrating A Healthy 100!

Off until Thanksgiving! Visiting the Salvation Army in Daytona Beach to feed the homeless on Thanksgiving Day. Never visited the Salvation Army in Daytona Beach so I am excited to volunteer! Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Love Always,

Megan Clementi

Miss Florida USA