WonderBroads Fundraiser and 1812 Bicentennial Event

Last night I spoke at the WonderBroads Annual Steak and Chicken Dinner. The WonderBroads are a group of breast cancer survivors that compete in Dragon Boats Races. The event took place at the Lakeside Pavilion in Kingston. When I got to the event, I went around and mingled with the guests and I introduced myself to the WonderBroads. The turnout was great, there were over 200 people there. The first speaker was one of the WonderBroads, Arlene. She then introduced me to the stage. I spoke briefly about my experience with my mom going through breast cancer.  I felt so honoured to have been asked to speak at the event and I hope to work with this amazing group of women throughout the year. 

Speaking at the WonderBroads 3rd Annual Steak and Chicken Dinner Event

After I finished my dinner, I popped by the 1812 Bicentennial Event at Lakeside Park in Tecumseh. By the time I got there, it was starting to die out. There was a huge turnout though, over 300 people showed up throughout the night! When I arrived, there were some special guests telling stories. I then moved over to the fire pits to roast some marshmallows and mingle with guests. Even though it was a little later in the event, I was really glad I was able to make it. It was definitely a balancing act. And yet another busy week is ahead of me!

At the 1812 Bicentennial Event at Lakeside Park

Women to Women Movement

As Miss Tecumseh 2013, my platform is breast cancer prevention and awareness. I've joined the Women to Women movement to help promote my platform. Breast Cancer has affected my life deeply. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2006. She put up a courageous battle but tragically passed away in 2008. Since then I have made it my mission to see the end of cancer. I can't do it alone however, which is why I've joined the movement; To get one step closer to that goal. As an ambassador, I will be giving public education on breast cancer and the importance of mammograms through social media, events, and conversations with other women. 

Mammography is the most reliable method of finding breast cancer and research has shown that women who have mammograms regularly are less likely to have a false positive (when the test results suggest cancer, but none is actually present). Also, if you do have cancer, it is more likely to be detected when you have mammograms regularly. If you are between the ages of 50-69, you should be getting a mammogram every 2 years. This can be done in two simple ways: getting a referral from a doctor, or calling the Ontario Breast Screening Program directly at 1-800-668-9304 to make an appointment. If you are at high risk, like me, then you should be getting a mammogram every year between the ages of 30 to 69. Women considered high risk for breast cancer are those who have genetic factors or a personal or family history suggestive of hereditary for getting breast cancer. Women in this group will need a referral from their doctor or nurse practitioner to book for these screening services.

Below is the Thingamaboob, a tool used by ambassadors to explain the importance of mammograms and early detection. The largest bead shows the size of a lump that can be felt by checking your own breasts. The next smallest shows what might be found through a physical exam by a doctor. The next is what would be detected through a first mammogram. The smallest bead is what would be detected when having regular mammograms. It is crucial to get mammograms so you can detect tumours when they're small. The earlier you can catch, the sooner you can get rid of the cancer and then there is less risk of the cancer returning or spreading.

Part of being an ambassador included fundraising. I am asking you to support me as an ambassador and  make a donation to breast cancer research. Go to my Women to Women Ambassador page to make a donation: http://convio.cancer.ca/goto/lesliefurlan. To learn more about the Women to Women movement go here. If you would like to be an ambassador, you can do so here.

Terry Fox Run

Today was the Terry Fox Run at Green Acres park. When I arrived I put on my sash and crown then went around to mingle. We started the event with "O Canada" sung by Miss Tecumseh 2010, Aimee Quenneville, who did a fantastic job! Then speeches were given by mayor, Gary McNamara, and event organizer, Jan Wright. Caitlyn the clown and I were at the front when we all got stretched out to "I Would Walk 500 Miles." After the stretching, everyone headed to the start line. I wished everyone luck as they started on their walk, run, or roll. I really like that the event is family centred and anyone can participate. You had the option of doing a 2k, 5k, or 10k and you could walk, run, bike, or roller-blade  I loved seeing so many kids participating! It's so nice to see young people working towards such a great cause. I even saw a few of my little campers!

After the participants started, I got my basket of participation ribbons which I handed out to all of the participants as they crossed the finish line. It started out slow but eventually there were so many people coming by that I could hardly keep up with handing out the ribbons! There were over 1100 participants which is such an amazing turn out! After everyone passed the finish line, I headed over to the face painting and balloon making station to hang out with the kids and volunteers. I also stopped by the High Jinks play area and got to talking with the lady that worked there. She gave me her business card with interest in setting up a charity event. After everyone left, I stayed to help clean up. It was such a fun event and I would absolutely love to volunteer for this event next year and help out throughout my reign. This charity is so inspiring and is really dear to my heart. I was really glad to see so many familiar people and also meet some new ones! I would say that it was a really successful first event. To learn more about the Terry Fox Run go to: http://www.terryfox.org/. You can follow the Tecumseh Terry Fox run through their facbook page: https://www.facebook.com/TecumsehTerryFoxRun or twitter: https://twitter.com/TerryFoxRunTec.  Watch the highlights of the event here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DoC7ZJ58-k&feature=youtu.be

Tecumseh Terry Fox Run

Handing out ribbons at the finish line

More Photos!

I was too excited to wait! Even more photos from the photoshoot with Chalet Studio. They are truly artists! I'm dying to see even more photos!

Photoshoot with Chalet Studio

After I was crowned, Chalet Studio reached out to me about doing a photoshoot. The owners, Alan and Janet Arseneault, are family friends. My sister and I actually got photographed by them before, when I was 6 and she was 2 years old. The photos still hang up in my living room actually. So when they approached me I was instantly thrilled. It was my first real photoshoot and they made it such an amazing experience. They were so excited to get started and they had so many creative ideas. We did 4 different looks, they actually wanted to do even more. The first one was the me in my evening gown and with my crown. The second look was with a red Jovani dress that I recently purchased. They added a dramatic headpiece and some red silk gloves. The third look was this cute pink dress that they provided. They wanted to go for a bohemian feel. They even made the flower crown for me. Not only are they fabulous photographers, they're also amazing hosts. From the moment I got there they made me feel so welcome! They carried my bags, got me tea, and they even ordered pizza later on. The pictures I've seen are incredible so far, I can't wait to see even more! I just want to give a big thank you to Alan and Janet! It was so amazing of them to do this for me, it was such a fun and amazing experience. You can see their other work at http://chaletstudio.ca/ or on their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/chaletstudiophotography.

As Miss Tecumseh 2013...

I feel so honoured to have been crowned Miss Tecumseh 2013! This is something I've wanted since I was a little girl and it feels amazing to have reached my goal. It was a long journey to get here but I have grown so much and gained so much through out it. I have several goals as Miss Tecumseh 2013, one of them being to share my experience with all of you! I will be posting about several things, including the pageant night, my journey to become Miss Tecumseh, and of course updating all of you on all of my efforts this upcoming year. I can't wait to see what this year will hold and share it with all of you!