From the Left: Jayne Geist, Candace Collins, Sheryl Ellison and Hilary Gushwa
The 17th annual Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade was held this last weekend and featured 70 entries glowing and twinkling for an estimated crowd of 80,000 spectators. All entries were required to display lights, even walking entries.
The California International titleholders were 4 of the featured celebrities in attendance. Mrs. California International 2009 is Sheryl Ellison who champions the causes of Donate Life, Organ and Tissue Donor Registry. Sheryl is a Donate Life Ambassador and her objective is to explain organ and tissue donation to the public, and ultimately alleviate the critical shortage of donors. Her dedication to Donate Life started three years ago when her nephew Connor was diagnosed with a liver disease. Sheryl is married to Ryan Ellison, together they have celebrated sixteen years of marriage. To follow Sheryl and her year of service as Mrs. California International 2009 please visit http://www.mrscaliforniaintl09.blogspot.com.
Hilary Gushwa is Miss California International 2009. She will champion her charitable cause Heart2Heart, a non profit organization founded in 1999 which seeks out and registers bone marrow donors for leukemia patients. As Founder and President of Heart2Heart, Hilary will continue to add as many names as possible to the National Marrow Donor Program. In 2007, Hilary received the Call to Service Award by President George W. Bush, for her dedication to community service over the past nine years. To follow Hilary and her year of service as Miss California International 2009 you can read her blog at http://www.misscaliforniaintl09.blogspot.com.
Candace Collins will leverage her position as Miss Teen California International 2009 to champion Go Red For Women the American Heart Association's national movement to help women reduce their risk of heart disease. Candace would like to educate teens and her college campus about heart disease which kills one in three American women. Candace is currently a freshman at San Diego State University majoring in Political Science and European Studies. Candace would like to be Foreign Ambassador for the United States Government. To follow Candace and her year of service as Miss Teen California International 2009 visit http://www.missteencaintl.blogspot.com/
Junior Miss California International 2009 is Jayne Geist. She will volunteer her time to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, a non profit organization that is established to cure Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by these diseases. Jayne is an Eighth Grade Student and Student Council Treasurer. She would like to become an Elementary School Teacher and her favorite subject is English. Jayne enjoys competitive cheerleading, golf, skiing, bike riding, reading and surfing. She also plays the flute, clarinet and is active in tumbling. Jayne has received numerous awards including the perfect attendance award, outstanding citizen of the year, Presidential Physical Award, Student of the week and Academic Outstanding Student of the Year.
To learn about participating in the California International Pageants next year, please visit http://www.californiaintl.com
Additional pictures of the parade can be found in the Desert Sun Photo Gallery at http://www.mydesert.com/
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
