The Ford Commitment to Kids Award was recently awarded to UM student, Jenna Edwards, Founder and President of Queen For a Day, a program that hosts tea parties and donates tiaras to terminally ill children throughout the United States.
Edwards, who has 13 years of pageant experience, is a Communication Studies and English major at UM.
The Queen For a Day program began in June 2000 after Edwards’ mother, Debbie, suggested the idea in her hometown of Jackson, Mississippi.
Since then, Queen For a Day has become a nationally recognized non-profit organization with chapters in Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Jackson, and Miami. Each chapter is run by area directors who work in close contact with Edwards.
There are approximately 50 chapters in Jackson, Mississippi, and 25 in Miami-that is, a total of 75 terminally ill children have received a tiara and a tea party.
“I believe this program has the potential to be a huge philanthropic endeavor that encompasses many cities and communities throughout the nation,” said Edwards.
Edwards has received a large response from pageant winners throughout the country who have donated their tiaras via Internet postings and word of mouth.
“It was a great idea to post announcements on the web,’ said Edwards. “The response has been incredible”.
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Coral Gables
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
April 23 , 2024
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The Miami Hurricane is the student newspaper of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The newspaper is edited and produced by undergraduate students at UM and is published in print every Tuesday and online everyday during the academic year.