A Grand Blue Mile!

Tonight I had the privilege of being the warm-up leader and one of the many volunteers for the KidStriders (www.iowakidstrong.com) Grand Blue Mile Victory Run. Nearly 700 youth from the Des Moines area showed up to celebrate running a minimum cumulative marathon distance of 26 miles during recess KidStriders sessions. The Victory Run was combined with the Drake Relays' First Annual Grand Blue Mile, which took place in downtown Des Moines.

Before the race, I met with several students participating in the program, and they were ready to run!


This young gal wanted her picture taken with a "real princess!" After the race she gave me a high five (and did the "down low, too slow" thing to boot ...). What a joker!


These ladies are in the "See Us Run Des Moines Program," go to Roosevelt High School, and are going to run in the Des Moines Marathon in October! Good luck with training girls!


This was the finish line!


I ran the entire 1/4 mile race (that is quite the distance for elementary students) in my crown and sash with these two girls. They did a great job! Keep running girls!


As you can see, there were TONS of kids in attendance! This event was fun not only because I got to meet so many enthusiastic children, but because it is an initiative that makes fitness fun and rewarding for students. As a supporter of childhood obesity prevention initiatives, it is so important we support programs like this in the state of Iowa.

Fabulous Photos from Shirk Photography

On Wednesday of this week, I pulled up to a house in Wilton, Iowa, wondering if I was at the right place. I was to have my Miss Iowa photos taken with Ben Shirk, owner of Shirk Photography. It was gloomy and rainy, and I soon realized my GPS led me to the correct location. Ben walked out of his house, home to his photography studio, in his stylish hat, carrying an umbrella so that I wouldn’t disrupt my new “Do” :)


Ashlie at Park Avenue Style in Muscatine did a great job styling my hair beforehand, and Ben was kind enough to keep the style from being destroyed.

What a fun experience we had! Ben has been shooting out of his home for the past four years, and I can tell he has a bright future ahead of him. Check out his web site: www.shirkphotography.com – just looking at a couple of his pictures says it all. He has a fresh, unique style that will bring him an enormous amount of success. I feel blessed that he so graciously donated my portraits for Miss Iowa. I will definitely keep him in mind for future photos!

We spent several hours together as he created eye-catching backdrops and planted me in them ever so perfectly. Thanks, Ben for the great pictures! I have already told him it will be tough to make my final decisions.

Thanks also to Ashlie for working her magic with that curling iron and hairspray – two items no woman can live without! She was also kind enough to donate her services to the Muscatine titleholders for one year. What great support we have in our area of the state!

It is paperwork time, so I’ll be finalizing my platform statement and resume, along with other required documents, in time for Miss Iowa orientation on April 24th. I’m so excited for the competition already, I can hardly stand it!

Thanks to all of you for your constant encouragement, support, and love. I would not be where I am without you.

Hugs,
Jennifer

P.S. Please enjoy a few of the sample photos I've posted below.

Have you seen Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution?

It airs Fridays at 8 p.m. on ABC. As a current nutrition and fitness professional and future Registered Dietitian, this show has left me beyond excited.

Jamie Oliver is attempting to tackle the obesity epidemic in the United States by starting a cooking revolution - one that strays from the consumption of processed foods and focuses on the preparation of whole, nutritious meals.

This quote sums up his mission:

"This Food Revolution is about changing the way we eat. We need to start cooking again, to make sure our children don’t grow up on a diet of processed food, at school or at home, and so they won’t have to battle obesity and diet-related illnesses when they grow up. Cooking is one of the most important skills a person can have and it has been proven that families who cook together eat better. A small change in your kitchen in could save the life of someone you love. America needs to do something now, before it’s too late.” Jamie Oliver

With my platform of Childhood Obesity Prevention, I could not be more enthralled about this movement, and challenge you to watch the program as well as sign his petition here: http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution/petition

I encourage you to join this movement - even if it means you simply watch the program on Friday nights and talk with someone about it. Jamie Oliver has the potential to create a much needed awareness about the role parents and schools both play in fostering healthy environments for children.

On a similar note, stay tuned as I begin my Snacking Smart tour across the state of Iowa! One of the core messages I leave with children is to eat whole, clean foods that are near their natural state - good growing foods. My platform is a perfect complement to this revolution, and I look forward to seeking out more opportunities for involvement.

All the best,
Jennifer