Charles Hoffman Jr. Volunteer of the Year Award Tonight

As Nationals is quickly approaching, I have been extremely busy! But I am anxiously awaiting Philadelphia!

Tonight, I am receiving the Charles Hoffman Jr. Volunteer of the Year Award for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Although I did not win Woman of the Year, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is giving my family and I this award for our dedication throughout the year to raising money for research and the well-being of patients and their families. The reception is being held at the Colonnade Hotel in downtown Boston. I am extremely honored to be receiving this prestigious award and am looking forward to upcoming projects and events with the Society.

Tune into WEEI tonight!

Although I am not yet going on the air just yet with WEEI, they will be promoting my Woman of the Year Campaign and my fundraising efforts between 5:30 and 6:00 pm tonight on the call segment of the Big Show. Tune in!

http://www.weei.com/shows/big-show/home

WEEI Whiney Awards

I had the honor of being one of the trophy presenters at the 8th annual Whiney Awards on April 29th, sponsored by WEEI 850 AM Sports Radio! It was a fun night full of sarcasm and laughs. I had the opportunity to meet some pretty famous people as well including: Lenny Clarke, Cedric Maxwell, and Lou Merloni. I was even given the opportunity to LIVE on the air with 'Big O' to promote my platform of Blood Cancer Awareness! I'll keep you posted with a date and time as to when that is happening. Cheers!

Another Successful Event & Off to a Photo Shoot!

Thank you to everyone that came out to support me one last time! The Luau for Leukemia was a great success! There was plenty of food, raffles, and laughs to be shared. We danced the night away while continuing to raise money for such a great cause.

I had promised the crowd a very special guest- Michael himself! He came on stage with me and thanked everyone for raising money for Leukemia because 'if it wasn't for people like them, he might not be here today.'

On Saturday morning, Michael made his First Communion. After celebrating with the family for a few hours, it was off to Providence to shoot with the one and only Stephen Passarelli! After hours of shooting with some of sister queens (Miss MA & Miss NH National Teenagers), I was exhausted but very excited to see how they came out. I will post them when I receive them!

Enjoy the rest of your week, everyone!

LUAU for Leukemia

To promote my passion for blood cancer awareness and in support of my efforts, come enjoy a night out while supporting a great cause!

As you know, I am in the running for Woman of the Year 2010 through The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. My campaign officially ends May 21st so come out to help support me one last time!

There will be food, cash bar, music by DJ Kenny, great raffles, door prizes, an appearance by a very special guest & much more!

Raffles include:

-Golf Foursomes

-Ed Hardy Basket

-(1) Month Gym Memberships

-Tattoo sittings

-Lottery Tree

-50/50 Drawing

-and much more!

Tickets are $15.00 and all proceeds to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time by contacting me or at the door! I am looking forward to seeing you and thank you in advance for your support!

Ronald McDonald House

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of traveling to the Ronald McDonald House in Brookline, MA with the Massachusetts queens to deliver DVD's and cards that were collected the weekend of the state pageant. The staff on site was incredibly friendly and grateful! Unfortunately, there were no children or families there to greet but we got invited back. It was such a gorgeous day- I'm glad most of them got the opportunity to venture out- my family knows all too well what it's like to be cooped up inside while you're sick or taking care of loved ones.

On Sunday, it was off to Nashua, NH for Consultation Day with the NH-MA Queens! We discussed nationals, the year's events, and finished with a photo shoot that was incredibly fun! It's going to be a busy couple of weeks preparing for nationals while continuing my passion for blood cancer awareness- time is flying by but I am incredibly excited!

Woman of the Year Fundraising

I spent the majority of this past weekend raising funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and promoting my passion for blood cancer awareness. It was quite the success! On Friday, my board of directors (mom, sisters, best girlfriends) set up a table at an event in Walpole, MA. We had a 50/50 drawing & raffled off a few prizes such as a wine & cheese basket, a Red Sox blanker, and a lottery tree. I'm quite confident we got every single person in the room to buy a few tickets!

We didn't stop there! Saturday morning was the 1st annual "Crawl for a Cure" around Faneuil Hall in Boston. I planned this event for 125 people to spend the day with food, drinks, and their family and friends. Although it was a rainy afternoon, we enjoyed each other's company while raising money for a great cause! "Crawl for a Cure" will definately be an annual event.

I have a few more events planned in the upcoming weeks to continue fundraising for my Woman of the Year campaign. I'll keep everyone posted with details!

Press Release!

My press release was published in the March 29th newspaper on Page Two!

http://www.enterprisenews.com/home/updates/x905412099/PAGE-2-news-notes-for-March-29

Lowell Devils

I was thrilled to have the opportunity yesterday to make my first appearance as Miss Massachusetts ANTSO National Miss and for such a great cause! I attended the Lowell Devils Hockey game at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, MA for Ladies Night. All proceeds went to the Mary Kay Ash Foundation to help end women's cancers and domestic violence. I had the pleasure to spend the afternoon with some amazing and incredibly driven 2010 pageant winners including Jane Marshall, Mrs. Massachusetts International, Brooke Bibeault, Miss Massachusetts Teen USA, Anita Seraichyk, Mrs. Rhode Island International, and my sister queen Kara Dodd, Miss Massachusetts National Teenager.

We greeted fans, sold PINK merchandise, and even got invited into the family luxury box of Ricardo's, an Italian restaurant in Lowell. We met quite a few amazing fans and women who also had a desire to make a difference. What an enjoyable Sunday afternoon supporting such a great cause!

Platform

My goal this year as the 2010 Miss Massachusetts ANTSO National Miss is to enjoy my year to the fullest while promoting my passion for Blood Cancer Awareness.

On November 4, 2006, during my sophomore year at Bentley, my then four year old brother, Michael Shaw, was jaundiced and tired. On the way to a family vacation in New Hampshire, we decided to stop at the pediatrician’s office to check on our usually energetic and happy little boy. After being rushed to Children’s Hospital Boston for a blood transfusion and multiple tests, Michael was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (A.L.L.) on November 6, 2006. Michael’s treatment began right away and called for a two year protocol. As if this was not shocking enough, it only got worse. Two weeks into treatment and just days before Thanksgiving, Michael developed an infection that put him in the Intensive Care Unit. Because his small body was weak and unable to fight anything off, doctors started to lose faith. As we sat in the ICU and watched his unconscious body, we were told he may not make it through the night. Thanksgiving was spent by his bedside, praying that he would find the strength to survive this infection, praying that I was not going to lose my four year old brother, the sunshine in my life. Miraculously, Michael fought it off and was able to continue his treatment a few weeks later. He was home just before Christmas that year, the best gift any family could ask for. Michael is now seven years old and is considered a heroic, strong, and amazing young man to anyone that meets him. He has been in remission for two years now and visits the Jimmy Fund every couple of months for follow up. He will not be declared a “survivor” for another three years, but we look forward to that day patiently. In the mean time, Michael spent 2008 as The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Boy of the Year and has been quite the miniature ambassador for Leukemia research. He continues to amaze me every day and has inspired me to take the next step in helping others that are living with blood cancer.

I have taken my experiences with blood cancer and turned them into a positive note. I am currently in the running for Woman of the Year 2010 through The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Massachusetts. The Man & Woman of the Year event has been one of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s signature events since 1990. Last year, over $7 million was raised nationally with this campaign. Candidates competing for this title are judged solely on a philanthropic basis—on their success in generating funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society from March 11, 2010 through May 20, 2010. Every dollar raised counts as one vote and the male and female candidates with the most votes accumulated will be selected as The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s 2010 Man & Woman of the Year. The winners will be featured in Boston Magazine, on an electronic sign over Route 93, on a billboard in the Metro-Boston area and in the USA Today, announcing their accomplishment. But more importantly, the feeling of truly making a difference and being one step closer to knocking Leukemia off of the map!

You can check out my fundraising efforts at www.mwoy.org/ma! Your generousity is appreciated, always.

I am excited for the final event in May and am hopeful that my year as Miss Massachusetts ANTSO National Miss will be full of awareness, fundraising, and satisfaction!