Gretchen's Take: Join me in changing how we define 'beauty'
Take the journey with me to support the Miss You Can Do It Pageant for young ladies with special needs
Today I’m announcing that I am proud to serve as the master of ceremonies for the "Miss You Can Do It" pageant in Peoria, Illinois on July 30.
A very brave woman -- Abbey Curran -- the first disabled contestant to compete in the Miss USA pageant as Miss Iowa in 2008 -- created this amazing pageant for girls of all ages with special needs and challenges.
The pageant changes the way we define beauty. Whether they're gracing the stage in a wheelchair, or struggling to walk with cerebral palsy; these ladies go out in front of everybody and say, "this is me" and "I'm beautiful”.
Never giving up and believing in who you are from the inside have been central themes in my life, and why I was drawn to this cause and knew I had to get on board. I hope you will too. Since Abbey pretty much finances the whole pageant on her own, donations help her to offset costs. So come along, take this journey with me as we chronicle it in the next few weeks. Let's acknowledge these young women for their bravery and perseverance, and help change the way ‘beauty’ is defined.
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