Queen for a Day
Jenna Edwards Helps Serve an Ace in February
Many little girls dream of being a queen, even if only for a day. These dreams become more significant when the little girl is fighting cancer. Now, because of the charity Queen for a Day, many young girls who are in the midst of fighting this deadly disease have the opportunity to actually become a queen -- a beauty queen that is -- under the guidance of the current Miss Florida USA, Jenna Edwards. SocialMiami.com took Jenna to lunch at Casa Toscana in Miami’s burgeoning Upper East Side to learn more about her and the organization that she and her mother founded more than six-years ago.
“After winning Miss Teen All America in Mississippi,” Jenna said while enjoying Casa Toscana’s homemade lasagna, “I learned that many pageant winners use their titles for philanthropic causes. This inspired me and I had the idea to give my tiaras to some of the girls at a local hospital and throw a tea party. The effect this act had on the kids was wonderful and inspired me to build Queen for a Day, a non-profit organization that provides quality of life services to pediatric cancer patients. Today we have 20 chapters and have aligned with numerous pageants and pageant winners who donate their tiaras to the cause.” There is even a “Heroes” program for young boys, which is inspired by local firefighters and policemen.
The most amazing aspect of Jenna’s desire to give is not that she merely does it, but how hard she works to be able to do it. Where many adult pageant winners use their title to make money for themselves, Jenna has chosen to use her title to garner support for her non-profit. In order to achieve this worthy objective, Jenna holds down two part-time jobs, which allows her the freedom to devote the necessary time to the less fortunate. But she prefers not to focus on herself and keeps the attention on the young people that she helps.
“Children cannot be treated like adults,” she said. “They get lost in the treatment and need the opportunity to be a kid again. Their bodies react best when they are able to be a kid and their treatments are combined with play. That is what we help to accomplish. We help them smile.”
During the last three weekends in February, Queen for a Day will participate in an amateur tennis tournament to be held at the Coral Oaks Tennis Club. The tournament is expected to draw more than 400 players with proceeds going to the charity. “We have some wonderful sponsors that have already committed to the event and silent auction, including our title sponsor Mercedes-Benz of Miami, and Bacardi and American Airlines,” Jenna said. “We have a lot of momentum and expect more than 700 spectators and participants to come out and support us.”
To learn more about Queen for a Day, become a sponsor, or sign up to participate in their tennis tournament, contact 305-546-4459.
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