The 2014 Miss Ohio contestants swapped their sashes and beauty apparel for jeans and tennis shoes on Saturday when they participated in Community Service Day.
The 25 contestants convened at the United Way of Richland County building, where they were greeted by United Way Interim Executive Director Mick Rettig and heard a brief message from Mansfield Mayor Tim Theaker.
Later, the girls headed over to the Friendly House to spend some time with children in fun activities and games.
Erin Curry, who will be representing Mansfield as Miss Mansfield in the Miss Ohio Scholarship Program (MOSP) this June, expressed her excitement of being able to play with the children. “I’m a teacher’s aide at a preschool and I’m majoring in early childhood education, so I really like to help build a future for a young child,” she said.
Miss Maple City 2014, Sarah Clapper, also enjoyed spending time with the children. She said that she visited the Friendly House last year when she competed in the program as Miss North Central Ohio and that her visit with the children was an “eye-opening experience.”
Children beamed with excitement as the contestants played games with them. Many of the children were part of the A.C.E. (A Community Effort) Program, which is a youth crime prevention initiative between the Mansfield Police Department, Mansfield City Schools, Community Schools, and the Friendly House. The mission of this program is to reward students who excel in school for their hard work and discipline by providing them with a “fun day,” in which the students have use to the pool, game room, gym, and computer room.
From the Friendly House, the Miss Ohio contestants then traveled to a Habitat for Humanity property in Shelby, where they assisted in a variety of maintenance projects.
“Some of [the contestants] have never been involved in community service and so this enables them to get involved,” stated Holly Campbell-Bradley, MOSP booking manager and Community Service Day coordinator. She added, “And it’s just nice to do something good for the community.”
The girls finished the day with a retreat to the Mohican Cabins, where they worked on attaining medals through the Duke of Edinburgh program and participated in some “team-building” and “purposeful” activities, Campbell-Bradley said.
Miss Ohio Week 2014 is slated for June 14-21. To keep up-to-date with the latest Miss Ohio Scholarship Program happenings, visit the website.
