Miss America 2014 - The Big Night!

Everybody keeps asking me questions like: What's going through your head? Are you excited? How do you feel since tomorrow is the big day?

One word describes how I feel:

Grateful!

Without a doubt, I want the job. I genuinely want to be Miss America 2014 -- I believe in service above self!

As Miss America, I would be an ambassador who not only promotes my platform Full Plates Healthy States through education and advocacy but stands in the trenches with those serving and distributing food to the hungry. I am willing and able to take the spirit of service for which the Miss America Organization stands to the next level! There's no better way to promote the Miss America brand than to display all for which it stands being put to work in communities across the nation.

Most importantly, as Miss America, I would overturn the issue of hunger as an “out of sight, out of mind” epidemic—spreading light to the faces of hungry children and mobilizing concerned citizens to make their own differences in communities.

I would work with news outlets and celebrities to increase public awareness of the growing financial needs of America's food banks in order to provide fresh, nutritious produce. I would use my testimony to gain corporate sponsorships that would directly provide sustainable food sources to those in need and financial support for the cause of childhood hunter.



I am grateful to have had the opportunity of a lifetime to participate in the Miss America Scholarship Program -- to perform, advocate, and celebrate.

PERFORM
After three nights of Miss America preliminaries and countless rehearsals, I can say that performing on the iconic Boardwalk Hall stage is nothing short of exhilarating! It has been a dream come true. The production -- lights, staging, sound, etc. -- for Miss America 2014 is the most impressive thing I have ever seen. It is unbelievably fulfilling to perform on this stage. The talented people behind the scenes at Miss America are second to none. There's something very special about this legendary Atlantic City venue. It just feels magical!

ADVOCATE
While in Atlantic City competing in Miss America 2014, I've been able to share my platform with people like you through my blog, social media, face-to-face meetings, and on stage.

There is nothing more important to me than having the opportunity to spread my message of service above self. The Miss America Organization has given me so much! In addition to my passion for educating citizens about the tangible things we can do in our communities to stop hunger, I care deeply about encouraging young women to pursue career paths in the science and math fields.

I am very appreciative of the stage that Miss America has given me. It has been amazing to see how many people believe in me. And I'm extremely thankful and grateful that so many are willing to listen.

Perhaps the most exciting and rewarding part of my time here in Atlantic City was receiving the inaugural STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) scholarship award from the Miss America Organization! This was such an honor!

CELEBRATE
This week would not have been possible without the love and support I have received from my Mississippi family as well as people who support me across the nation. During my time in Atlantic City, I've been celebrating you!

Thanks again for your kind words on twitter, facebook, and instagram! After our activities each night, reading your messages gave me so much comfort and strength. You inspired me to keep giving Miss America 2014 my best efforts!

The big night is finally here. Watch MISS AMERICA 2014 on ABC, September 15, 2013 at 8:00 p.m. ET!

Thank you so much for keeping up with my #MissAmerica2014 adventures!

***While I have your attention, please do me a quick favor and click on the highlighted link below to find a local food bank near you. We CAN make a difference!!!!***

Food Bank Locator ----> FIND A FOOD BANK !!!

Miss America 2014 - Pageant Week!

I want the job of Miss America 2014!!!

It is pageant week here at Miss America 2014. I am stunned by the outpouring of love and support I have received from my Mississippi family as well as people from across the nation. It has been energizing to see your kind words on twitter, facebook, and instagram! You have no idea how much it means to me.

Going forward, I'll be spending most of my time this week in rehearsals and preliminaries.

Look for a post with my recap of all three preliminary nights. And, don't miss the big night. Watch MISS AMERICA 2014 on ABC, September 15, 2013 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Thank you so much for keeping up with my #MissAmerica2014 adventures!

Miss America 2014 - Day Five: Film Shoot at White House Subs in Joseph Ribkoff

Can't wait for y'all to see Sunday's broadcast on ABC!

Day Five: Miss America 2014 contestants do film shoot for Sunday's broadcast and attend Blondie concert!

It was another long, busy day. But it was exhilarating and productive! The film crew was amazing, and I can't say enough good things about everybody behind the scenes. From directing to keeping us motivated -- they did an amazing job!! 

We wore our beautiful clothes designed by Joseph Ribkoff!!!! Can't wait for all of you to see everybody's hard work come together for Sunday's broadcast on ABC.

Picture time!

White House Subs made the coolest spot to do our part of the film shoot. (Check out the whole set of photos in Miss America's photo album HERE!)

Next stop, awesome hospitality was shown to us by the sweet folks at the awesome Golden Nugget! Check out this pic! I stood next to Debbie Harry of Blondie!!!! #TheUltimateBlondie #Blondie

Sitting with sweet and gorgeous friends #MissNorthDakota and Tessa Dee #MissSouthDakota! Or as Tessa @MissSD2013 put it #DakotaSandwich !!!

Dakota sandwich with chelsea_rick and @missnd2013! http://t.co/4AjMRoVei1
— Tessa Dee (@MissSD2013) September 8, 2013

***Please vote for me for #AmericasChoice!***
  

***Please vote for me for #AmericasChoice!***

Thanks for keeping up with my #MissAmerica2014 adventures!

*P.S. At Miss America 2014, "Call time" still doesn't mean "time to wake-up."

Miss America 2014 - Day Four: Day in Philadelphia

Liberty and baseball -- two of the many reasons I'm thankful to be an American girl!

Day Four: Miss America 2014 contestants travel to see Phillies vs. Atlanta Braves Game and the Liberty Bell!

"Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof" (Leviticus 25:10).

These words are inscribed on the Liberty Bell located in Philadelphia's Liberty Bell Center. It is said that the Liberty Bell gets its name from this inscription. Today, it is a reminder of the many liberties enjoyed by the people of this nation. Promise me that you'll remember these liberties today!

It is very moving to think about how each Miss America contestant is a symbol of her own great state, and Miss America -- like the Liberty Bell -- symbolizes our great nation and the ideals upon which our country was founded! It is such an honor and a dream come true to serve as Miss Mississippi 2013! And it is breathtaking to have the opportunity to compete for the job of Miss America!




Next stop, Phillies vs. Atlanta Braves Baseball Game. We had a great time!




Each #MissAmerica contestant was introduced to the crowd!!!



It was so cool to have an Atlanta Braves player from #Mississippi ask ME to sign some items for his little girl, Parker!



And I couldn't start the day with a visit to the Liberty Bell and follow it with a baseball game without having a hotdog!!

6:00 a.m. call times are worth it for #MissAmerica2014 -- what do you think?*

Thanks for keeping up with my #MissAmerica2014 adventures!

**Please vote for me for #AmericasChoice!**

**Please vote for me for #AmericasChoice!**

*P.S. You understand that "call time" doesn't mean "wake-up" time, right? ;)

Miss America 2014 - Day Three: Shopping Event at Pier Shops

There are no words to express how thankful I am to be here!

Day Three: Shopping Event at Miss America 2014 means fun!

I can't believe that I've only been here in Atlantic City for three full days -- I've made so many amazing memories! 

It's such a privilege to be in the company of these amazing women. I wish there was enough time to sit down with each of the Miss America contestants to discuss the people in their lives who helped shape them.

I'm here to tell them about you, Mississippi!

I have not forgotten even for a moment about my journey here to compete in the Miss America pageant! I'm especially thankful to all of you back in Mississippi who have shared your light with me. You have given me so much. I'm doing this for you!

Thank you for all of the love and support that you have been giving me through social media -- twitter, facebook, and instagram. I'm doing my best to share this adventure with you -- I'm here because of you!

We rehearsed again today at Boardwalk Hall. Although I loved every minute of it, the next part of our day was even better!! 

Can you guess what happened next?

We went to THE PIER SHOPS at CAESARS. And... Wait for it.

They GAVE us cool stuff!!!! REALLY cool stuff.

Here are some pics below!
Free True Religion jeans!!!

Michael Kors sunglasses!!!

An AWESOME goodie bag from The Pier Shops!!!

Then we had a delicious dinner at a very cool restaurant called Buddakan. It was amazing!!!

Thanks for keeping up with my #MissAmerica2014 adventures! Gotta get to Boardwalk Hall for rehearsal!!!!!!!!

Have you voted for #AmericasChoice?

If not, time is running out!!! See the tweet below from the Miss America Organization!

There is exactly one week left to vote for an #AmericasChoice finalist at the 2014 #MissAmerica Competition! http://t.co/SdTVypccIX
— Miss America Org (@MissAmericaOrg) September 5, 2013

Please VOTE for me to become #AmericasChoice!!!

Miss America 2014 - Day Two: Show Rehearsal

What a feeling!...Now I'm dancing for my life!

Day Two: Show Rehearsal for Miss America 2014 means a lot of dancing!

Today, we had show rehearsal at Boardwalk Hall. We danced ALL day!!! Loved that!!

Next we headed over to Chickie's & Pete's located inside the Tropicana Casino & Resort where we were rewarded with colossal shrimp and french fries with cheese sauce.

After dinner, we were off to Boogie Nights to hit the dance floor!!! Such a cool place. I requested the song "What a Feeling" from the movie "Flashdance" and the D.J. was nice enough to play it! This song really sums up the way all of this feels.

Check out this video of Miss South Dakota, Tessa Dee, and I dancing for our lives to the song!!!

Thanks for keeping up with my #MissAmerica2014 adventures!

Don't forget to VOTE for me to become #AmericasChoice!!!

Help Me Become America's Choice!

Vote for Miss Mississippi 2013, Chelsea Rick!

Vote here: http://bit.ly/Vote4Mississippi !!

Thank you!

Miss America 2014 - Day One: Check-in

Wow! Okay, where do I start?... What a day!!

Day One: Check-in for Miss America 2014 was amazing!

We had our first meeting at Boardwalk Hall, today.

Next we went to Kennedy Plaza on the famous Atlantic City Boardwalk in front of Boardwalk Hall for our beautiful Arrival Ceremony.

Then we were off to Trump Plaza Beach Bar for the Beach Clam Bake generously sponsored by the Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce.

If you weren't there, don't worry! AC Weekly's Lew Steiner posted a video covering the event. Check it out below.

Mr. Sam Haskell, Chairman of Miss America Org, introduced me!!!!

So thankful to have this opportunity! Thank you to all of my friends, family, and supporters!!!

Don't forget to vote. Help me, Miss Mississippi 2013, Chelsea Rick, become America's Choice!!
Vote HERE!

Miss Mississippi 2013, Chelsea Rick, Arrives in Atlantic City!

I can't believe I'm really in Atlantic City, NJ for #missamerica2014 !!

Don't forget to vote! -- help me become America's Choice at #missamerica2014 ---> VOTE HERE!!

It's no George Carr Cadillac!

It's no George Carr Cadillac from Vicksburg, MS but it will do!!

My ride to Atlantic City from the Philadelphia Airport! On my way to the Boardwalk!!

Flying to #MissAmerica2014!

Flying to #MissAmerica2014!

My Platform: Full Plates, Healthy States

The most personal and primitive of needs is a healthy, satisfying, and nutritious meal.

In the land of plenty, this great America in which we live, one in five children are hungry. Hunger in America is a staggering problem – an epidemic that is belittling the potential of America’s future one undernourished child at a time. As a young girl in 2003, volunteering for the first time at my church’s local food pantry, I physically felt ill at the line of hundreds of cars in my small town of only 3,000 that were lined up for hours to get their one box of food for the month. That day impacted me and set my soul afire to be an advocate for those who do not know when or from where their next meal might come.

:: [VIDEO] I discuss my fight against hunger in my #AmericasChoice video below :: 

Post-recessionary times have brought forth debilitating increases in the number of people who are suffering from “food insecurity.” At this point in the drive to end hunger, the Miss America Organization is in the perfect position to make a grassroots difference in the landscape of our nation’s future by promoting programs that feed hungry children and nourish the minds of those who will one day lead our country.

My platform – Full Plates, Healthy States – is a well-developed, two-fold process.

First, my priority is to provide food to the hungry – to, for example, the upwards of 20% of children who go to bed hungry each night. Secondly, I feel called to address the issue of nutrition and quality of the food provided to them. As an advocate of leading a healthy and active lifestyle, I am passionate about the underlying correlation which exists between food insecurity and obesity. I address filling up the plates of hungry children but doing so with healthy, nutritious produce—not the over processed, starchy filler foods which I have seen far too often going into the food pantry boxes. In order to compensate for the many physical, mental, and social implications of hunger, nutrition is key.

When I speak to children, it seems inappropriate to burden them with a weight as heavy as childhood hunger, so I speak to them candidly about complete health: physical, mental, and spiritual health. 

Through these three components to achieving total wellness, children are left with an arsenal of knowledge to achieve the goal of being able to “play harder, think smarter, and dream bigger.” Full Plates, Healthy States even alludes to the USDA’s dietary guidelines established through the MyPlate campaign. Teaching children about nutritional value and portion control with MyPlate, using real, scientific facts about exercise, and discussing the importance of having a healthy “heart” by serving others is my way of making health and the fight against hunger “kid friendly.”

With community leaders my strategy is head-on.

The imagery of a child in a classroom unable to focus long enough to complete his assignment, embarrassed and cowering at the sound of his tummy rumbling loudly is more than enough to motivate action. It is my job to leave adults tangible things that they can do that day to alleviate hunger. I have ten years of experience in organizing food drives, Thanksgiving turkey deliveries, packing and distributing boxes at both rural and inner-city food panties, and raising funds for No Kid Hungry. I am a founding member of a “Backpack for Kids” program serving critical nutritional support to children in a highly impoverished area of the Mississippi’s capital city. I have served as a Nutritional Ambassador at Summer Feeding Program sites led by the Mississippi Food Network. To date, my own initiatives have raised over 10,000 pounds of food for the undernourished, and yet the work closest to my heart is giving a heartfelt smile to the person receiving a nutritious meal or box of healthy foods—telling them there is no shame in being in need.

As Miss America, I will be an ambassador who not only promotes my platform through education and advocacy but stands in the trenches with those serving and distributing food to the hungry.

I have the experience and the reputation among anti-hunger leaders to take the spirit of service for which MAO stands to the next level. There is no better way to promote the Miss America brand than to display all for which it stands being put to work in communities across the nation. Working with news outlets and celebrities, I will increase public awareness of the growing financial needs of food banks in order to provide fresh, nutritious produce. I will use my testimony to gain corporate sponsorships that will directly provide sustainable food sources to those in need and financial support for the cause of childhood hunger.

Most importantly, as Miss America, I will overturn the issue of hunger as an “out of sight, out of mind” epidemic—spreading light to the faces of hungry children and mobilizing concerned citizens to make their own differences in communities.

I hope the hungry served will leave with a full pate, a soon-to-be-full to stomach, and a full heart – overflowing with the love that comes from knowing someone cares.

Sincerely,

Chelsea Rick

Miss Mississippi 2013

FOOD BANK LOCATOR ----> Find a Food Bank

September is Hunger Action Month

1 in 5 children are hungry. 

Please take action to fight hunger. 

It's easy! Donate food or volunteer your time -- find a local food bank. 

Make sure to read my platform Full Plates, Healthy States -- let's stop hunger. 

Please visit Feeding America to learn more! 

Thank you!!

WLBT's Maggie Wade Covers Miss Mississippi 2013 Trunk Show

I have been a huge fan of Maggie Wade for years! 

So, it was very special to be interviewed by Mrs. Wade at my Trunk Show at the Vicksburg Convention Center, where I showed some of my wardrobe for the Miss America 2014 pageant in Atlantic City, NJ.

Check out the video of my interview with Maggie Wade for WLBT below:

The full story is available on WLBT's website HERE.

Thank you, Mrs. Wade!

WAPT-TV - Road to Miss America

I'm very thankful for WAPT-TV's support!

Please check out their feature called Miss Mississippi: Road to Miss America. It is amazing!!!

Here's a sneak peak at their special section below:

Thank you so much!!

Amory Declares August 10 Chelsea Rick Day

I owe so much to the great people of Amory, MS -- especially my Amory Railroad Festival family -- they have showed me so much generosity and support!

The people of Amory treated me like I was already Miss Mississippi -- they prepared me for this. They helped make this dream come true.

And a special thank you to Mayor Brad Blalock for issuing a proclamation declaring August 10 Chelsea Rick Day!!

WTVA's Tyler Hill reports below:

Thanks again to the kind people in Amory, MS!!

#missamerica2014