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The Ms. Virginia Senior
America 2011 Pageant was held on Thursday, May 19th, at the Kauffman Auditorium, Lee Center, Alexandria, Virginia.
State email address: annmariep@comcast.net
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State Director(s):
Annmarie Pittman at annmariep@comcast.net
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E-Mail: Senior America Management or
call us at 1-800-369-1369 or (732) 746-2598.
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CONGRATULATIONS to the Lovely, Magnificent & Inspiring, LOUISE WADE, Ms. Virginia Senior America 2011, and a special thanks to State
Director AnnMarie Pittman and the State of Viginia's Sponsors for a another beautiful pageant and successful year!
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I was born in Cleveland, Ohio and moved to Winter Park, Florida when I was nine. I had a lot of energy so my doctor urged my parents to find a constructive outlet for me. They did this, and I became a dancer. I was an honor student in order to dance. By age twelve I was assisting the teacher, and Buddy Ebsen's sister took me to Cocoa to teach. Since I felt destined to dance, I hurried to college at age sixteenprior to my dreamed-of career in New York.
Back surgery followed, so I detoured to the University of Utah with a scholarship in ballet and an opportunity to join the dance company. My return to Florida as a dance and drama counselor at camp, along with my twin sister Marie, was an ideal summer break until suddenly polio attacked me. After time in an iron lung and the prognosis that I might not walk, have children, or even live, the situation looked bleak. The Lord, however, had other plans.
My Utah boyfriend became my husband and we had three children. Our oldest child was our son, Mike, and the youngest a girl called Wendy. Our middle child, Melody, a daughter born in 1962, was profoundly brain injured at birth. Since then, it seems as though I have had a "purpose driven" life. My extraordinary energy and determination empowered me to balance motherhood, graduate school and teaching special education children. I felt strongly that I could and would meet the challenges and opportunities ahead.
I worked long and hard on the book,"Melody's Gifts: An Inspirational Story of a Family's Determination That Neither Cerebral Palsy Nor Mental Retardation Would Silence Melody's Song." I was committed to doing this because I believed strongly that the Lord meant for Melody's life to be shared and known. The impact of her life is significant and has already touched many. She personifies love and accepts people just as they are. We can all learn much from her. The porceeds from the book have enabled us to give back to folks like Melody in a variety of ways designed to make their lives happier and better.
In addition to overcoming polio and making Melody's life as rich and full as possible, I continue to meet all life's challenges with faith and determination. Soon after the release of my book, my husband Jack was diagnosed with acute leukemia. Although he is now in remission, he has had a recent bout with melanoma.
I have always believed that, in any situation, we should do all that is humanly possible, then let go and let God. It has been proven many times in my own life that He works in mysterious ways to the good of those who serve Him.
My purpose for entering the pageant is to share my book with a larger audience, not for monetary gain, but to enable me to give more to our special needs population. Anyone who reads it will never take even the slightest movement for granted again. I would willingly devote my energy and determination to serve as an ambassador and attemp to personify the significatn impact even one life can make for the greater good. Every day of my life I do everything I can to demonstrate what I believe this pageant is all about: building on the rich experiences of my life to share with others, while personifying the grace and elegance of senior women.
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The Ms. Senior America Pageant is
the world's first and foremost pageant to emphasize and give honor to
women who have reached the "Age of Elegance." It is a search
for the gracious lady who best exemplifies the dignity, maturity and
inner beauty of all senior Americans. The Ms. Senior America philosophy is
based upon the belief that seniors are the foundation of America, and our
most valuable treasure. It is upon their knowledge, experience and
resources that the younger generation has the opportunity to build a
better society.
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