Heather Moran: March 2010

MAWFNJ Dishes for Wishes

Once again I am excited to be on the committee for the 7th Annual Dishes for Wishes event that will be held on April 27th, 2010. It will once again feature a competition among South Jersey's finest restaurants, fantastic silent auction items, celebrity servers, a raffle to win "A Year of Dining Out," and much more. This is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year, and let's hope that this year tops all of them!! http://nj.wish.org/2009/12/23/save-the-date-7th-annual-dishes-for-wishes/

Trenton Thanksgiving Parade

November 21, 2009

I just adore parades! There’s nothing quite like a parade watching the floats, marching bands and celebrities go by. I was honored to be one of the celebrities being driven in the parade by my very own Dad! He owns a convertible and is my chauffeur for all the parades I attend. He and I always have such a fun time together, and the Trenton Thanksgiving Parade was no exception. Thank you so very much for having me!

MAWFNJ President's Reception

November 12, 2009
Today was a rain-drenched day, but nothing could dampened our spirits at the MAWFNJ President’s Reception. Our President, Tom Weatherall, is a truly inspirational President and does all of us proud by making our Chapter one of the leading chapters in the country. Tonight’s reception honored all of us who work effortlessly to support the mission of the MAW ~ "To grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy."

"Crowning Around by Autumn" Pageant Expo

November 8, 2009

Today was such a fun day filled with pageantry, learning new skills and hanging out with friends old and new! I attended a pageant Expo in King of Prussia, PA sponsored by Crowning Around by Autumn, which is owned by Autumn Marisa, Miss Pennsylvania in 2002. Fourpoints Magazine was one of her major sponsors for the Expo. If you have never heard of Autumn's adorable company, you must check it out at: www.crowningaroundbyautumn.com.

Music for Wishes with the MAWFNJ

October 25, 2009
I acted on behalf of the Speaker’s Bureau for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of NJ today and attended a terrific benefit in Cherry Hill. Music for Wishes raised enough money to fund a wish for one very fortunate boy or girl. Fabulous job gang!! This event was set as a band competition among some of South Jersey’s greatest bands. It was a day filled with great music, delicious food and magical dreams come true! After all, that's what the MAWFNJ is all about!!!

Mrs. New Jersey International 2010

October 10, 2009
Today was such an INCREDIBLE and EMOTIONAL day for me filled with my loving family and my very best friends! Today I was crowned as the new Mrs. New Jersey International 2010!!! It is a day I will never ever forget, as I am so extremely blessed, honored, humbled and overwhelmed with this great achievement. Tom placed the oh-so-beautiful crown on my head with the help of one of my very best friends, Mary Moulds Mrs. New Jersey International 2009! I just can't begin to tell you how meaningful it was for me to not only have Mary crown me, but my dearest Tom as well. It's not everyday that one is crowned by her husband!

My new director, Jodi Cessna, and her husband Scott have welcomed me into their pageant family with HUGE open arms. I have known them for a few years now, but have never really "known" them as I do now. They are the kindest, most giving couple one could ask for in directors and now friends. I am SO grateful to be a member of "The Cessna Bunch"!!!

My year as Mrs. New Jersey International 2010 will be spent promoting my passion, the Make-A-Wish Foundation (MAW)! My state chapter here in NJ is an unbelievable group of people who live and work to make wishes come true for children who have life-threatening illnesses. And for anyone who knows my background you know that this couldn't be more of a perfect fit for me! Tom and I are Wish Granters for this impactful organization. We go into children's homes and have the upmost pleasure of asking them, "If you could have one wish, what would it be?"

My year will also be spent promoting the Mrs. International national platform, the American Heart Assocation and the Go Red For Women movement. Heart disease is the #1 killer of women, so I commend the pageant system for focusing their work on such a powerful topic. I have been involved with the AHA for many years now, so my will to continue working with them as Mrs. New Jersey International 2010 could not be more perfect.

I will be competing for the national title of Mrs. International 2010 in Chicago, Illinois on July 16-17, 2010. As I embark on this incredible journey given to me I promise to do everything in my power to make my state, my husband, my parents, my family, and my friends as proud of me as they possible can be. Princess Diana was a icon to me, as she was the "people's princess". If I can touch people's lives as she touched ours, then I will have succeeded!

Granting Wishes One Child at a Time

October 2, 2009

Tom and I had the pleasure of meeting with such a lovely family tonight, along with their 12-year-old son named Henry. Henry is a cancer survivor who just came through a successful stem cell transplant. He is a very active boy who loves to play video games and cook. His wish is to travel to Italy to see all the fun and exciting places he's only read about in books. Well Henry......your wish is about to come true!! Thank you, MAWFNJ, for helping to create such an exciting vacation for Henry and his family!

Did you know.......

Did you know that 76% of all monies received by the Make-A-Wish Foundation goes directly to program services, such as funding the wishes they grant? Only 9% goes to paying staff salaries. That's an incredible accomplishment which helps to elevate the Foundation above many other charitable organizations of its kind. This percentage well exceeds the standard upheld by organizations that monitor the work of charities. GO MAW!!

NFL Alumni Philadelphia Chapter Cheerleader Reunion

September 26, 2009
For many months now a team of remarkable women have been planning the NFL Alumni Philadelphia Chapter Cheerleader Reunion. It was held tonight on the Moshulu in Philadelphia. I was the Charity Chairperson for this huge event and I am beyond elated to say that we raised $10,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Jersey. The night was attended by 300+ former Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders dating back to the inception of the squad in the 1940's. We had a successful Silent Auction and a fashion show of all the uniforms dating back to inception. My good friends Audrey Purcell and Maggie Trush-Hammond did a fantastic job pulling it together, and I couldn't be more proud of our accomplishments as a team. It was a night we will never forget!

Wish Granting with the MAWFNJ

August 26, 2009

Today was Susan’s shopping spree wish. WOW! We had such a GREAT day being chauffeured around in a limo going from store to store to store (and store to store to store)! I think we hit nearly 10 different stores, it's was awesome! We had a delicious lunch at The Olive Garden along the way. The limo packed to the top with all her purchases and by the end of the day we were all pleasantly exhausted. A big THANK YOU to Best Buy who took extra-special care of Susan while we were there! Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Jersey, YOU ROCK!!

Celebrate Wear Red Day Any Day

It doesn't have to be a special day or month for you to pull out the red from your closet. Any day can be Wear Red Day! How about starting your own Wear Red Day at your office? At your school? Follow this link to learn how you can plan YOUR day! http://www.goredforwomen.org/WearRedDay/

Refer a Child to the MAW

Do you know of a child you has a life-threatening illness? Referring a child for a wish is one of the most important parts of helping the Make-A-Wish Foundation accomplish its mission. The road to a joyful wish experience starts when a caring person refers a child to the Foundation. Learn about who is eligible and how we accept referrals so you can help us share the power of a wish. http://wish.org/refer

Fishes for Wishes with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of NJ

June 25, 2009

As a member of the Speaker’s Bureau of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Jersey I am often asked to attend benefits and events being given in their honor to raise funds for future wishes. It is my job to act as the representative on-hand at these events and to make presentations, to give informational speeches, and to answer questions on behalf of the MAWFNJ. Tonight was a wonderful event called Fishes for Wishes. It was held at the New Jersey State Aquarium, which wassuch a fantastic place to hold an event, as the backdrop was not only the Delaware River and the Philadelphia Skyline, but incredible stingrays, fish and sharks. The ballroom itself was surrounded by the huge shark tank, which made for such a neat and different affair. The organizer of this event did such a great job that enough funds were raised to grant Cindy’s wish to go to Walt Disney World. I presented a detailed speech about the Foundation and all the good that that it does. My husband and Mom joined me as well. Congratulations on a job well done everyone!

Speaking on behalf of the MAWFNJ!

My love!

My dearest Mom!

Judging the Miss Delaware Pageant

June 10 - 13, 2009
I had the incredible honor of judging the Miss Delaware Pageant this week. The new winner, Heather Lehman, is a wonderfully educated, talented and personable woman and will certainly make the “First State” proud during her reign. She will be representing Delaware at the Miss America Pageant in January. Our current Miss America, Katie Stam, traveled here for the pageant and oh what a joy she is! I was able to spend quite a few hours with her over dinner and at the Queen’s Reception following the pageant. She is a down-to-earth and an exceptionally beautiful woman who is such a delight! (Can she take a bad picture?!) Thank you to Debi Wilson, Executive Director, and George Lee, Judges Chairperson, for chosing me to be a member of your accomplished judges panel. It was an incredible week, one I will never forget!