Last Visit To Healthtrax!!!

Huge shoutout to Ryan for the amazing workout at Health-trax today! We are so fortunate to have such a fantastic sponsor that cares both about our fitness journey and our individual contestant paths! It is always a pleasure!

XOXO Lauren

Memorial Day Cememony

What a privilege it was to watch a 101 year -old WWII veteran receive wartime medals and speak on the purpose of Memorial Day! The journeys our veterans undergo never cease to astound me and I am thankful to be a part of giving reverence to both our fallen and our veterans everyday. The most incredible moment for me today was sitting and talking with our WWII Veteran about his part in establishing our New Haven VA Hospital and just what he believes it should provide! Such valuable insight gives me new directions to push for in reform and policy change!

XOXO Lauren
#foreric

Hamden Memorial Day Parade

Joined by the titleholders and princesses of Hamden, my princess Maggie and I had a blast starting off the day riding in the Hamden Memorial Day Parade. We were just a few cars behind our beautiful Miss Connecticut, Eliza Kanner! We loved spending time together but especially had a blast thanking the veterans in the crowd!

XOXO Lauren

Ansonia Memorial Day Parade

The Miss Stamford titleholders and I had a blast getting Ansonia in the Memorial Day spirit! I had the chance to discuss with Girl Scouts, studios, and countless other groups the true meaning of Memorial Day. It was important to me today to not just embrace our national pride but really remember what the day means and just what we have to remember and be thankful for.

XOXO Lauren

House of Heroes CT

My sisters and I banded together this afternoon to do our part for the 100th build of the House of Heroes Organization! This organization helps out veterans by rebuilding, cleaning, and re-doing the veterans house! We got dirty moving trees and even re-did a front porch for a wonderful veteran who is so deserving!

It was an honor to spend the day working for an individual that sacrificed for our country and I have so much respect for the organization! The service they provide to veterans right here in our communities is incredible and very much needed! Our build today was in Hamden, and the veteran and his wife were immensely grateful!

XOXO Lauren

Veteran State Cemetery

This morning I visited the Veteran State Cemetery and put out flags by the graves of our fallen. The weather was smiling down and the experience was surrounded by blessings and memories. My princess and I will sure look forward to repeating the service next Memorial Day weekend!

XOXO Lauren

CT Fallen Heroes #foreric

Memorial Day weekend kicked off today and I had the privilege of spending it with the CT Fallen Heroes Organization, their supporters, and some of Connecticut's Gold Star families! This organization gives their all to honor our fallen and our veterans who still live on! My day began with fundraising on the golf course and spending time thanking and talking with a veteran from the Battle of the Bulge! The respect I hold and the wisdom I learn from our veterans never ceases to amaze me!

This particular appearance was incredibly special to me because I was also recognized for my dedication and work on multiple fronts for our military men and women. I was awarded a scholarship on behalf of Private First Class Eric Soufrine and his Gold Star family. I am struggling to find the right words to describe this honor and this responsibility. I am looking forward to living and representing his legacy with pride, determination, and honor! So blessed 🌟


XOXO Lauren

Last Official Rehearsal 🙈

I am not quite sure where all the time went but tonight was our very last rehearsal before move in for the 90TH MISS CONNECTICUT! Holy. Cow. With such little time left before the competition it is that perfect time to reflect on my year of service and all I still have planned! Growth, positivity, and PROGRESS for our veterans are the aspects I am most proud of and I cannot wait for the journey to continue!

XOXO Lauren

PS~ Socks in your heels is a life saver!

WTNH

Before you ask, I did have the chance to catch our forever Miss Connecticut, Alyssa Taglia, as she updated CT on current happenings! However, her coworkers were just as awesome as her as they did an interview on Save-A-Suit! I had the honor of representing the organization and coordinating one of the veterans we suited, a current suit drive partner, and the CT Style Team of Ryan and Teresa for the interview!



Keep your eyes peeled on Channel 8 this Friday and again on Memorial Day!

XOXO Lauren

Golf Ball Guns, Fundraising, or Both?

I joined Homes for the Brave once again this evening at their annual golf tournament! The event was a wonderful success and they had some awesome sponsors that helped out! One such sponsor was PGA Hope, and they gave the players the chance to use the golf ball canon if they donated extra in honor of the homeless veterans they were playing for! I even had the chance to take a shot!

Moreover, the evening had tons of silent auctions, live auctions, and raffle prizes for the golfers! They enjoyed a fabulous dinner at the Brooklyn Country Club and helped raise a significant sum for the organization! An organization that provides a MUCH NEEDED service to our military men and women! I am looking forward to partnering with them again and hope you keep an eye out for the total we raised! If you would still like to support shoot me a message and I can provide all the information!

XOXO Lauren

Iwo Jima Memorial Ride

What. A. Fantastic. Day. I joined the Support the Survivors of Iwo Jima and Operation Thank You for a day of recognition and honor. I had the chance to sit and talk with several WWII veterans throughout the day. The journeys they went through and the lessons they share will forever stay with me. Especially because I had the chance to meet and take home a limited edition book containing their photos and stories! Some of the vets even took the time to make me some notes and dictate their memories behind each photo!

My princess and I also visited the memorial together and took part in a ceremony to recognize the lost and honor the surviving. I recommend visiting the memorial and taking a moment to recognize the sacrifice and struggles that were undergone to bring us to where we are today. Furthermore, we had the chance to bestow quilts of valor on some of the veterans. Overall the day was extremely moving, and I look forward to the next day I get to spend with these incredible veterans!

XOXO Lauren

Ehhh...Still Working on Mocks

The Miss Connecticut preparation continued today with mock interviews! I have been so blessed to have such a supportive team behind me this year and I can't wait to show off all of their hard work in just a few short weeks!

XOXO Lauren

#DazzleGirl

It has been confirmed once again that Dazzle is the one stop place for anything glamorous! I stopped by today after visiting HealthTrax to pick up some competition accessories! Make sure to visit them if you need anything for a formal occasion, and be sure to check out my sparkle on the Miss Connecticut stage!

XOXO Lauren

HealthTrax Kills Me

Kim and Mike gave me such a hard workout today! Having them on board to keep me living a healthy lifestyle and getting me in shape for competition is such a blessing! The Miss Connecticut Scholarship Org. is so lucky to have a generous sponsor and partnership with them! Moreover, I recommend them to anyone looking for knowledgable fitness coaches and a fabulous facility!

XOXO Lauren

Save-A-Suit Suit and Tie Drive

I spent 9 hours today sharing my platform and the specific message of Save-A-Suit with the people of Greenwich. I even had the chance to do an interview with Channel 12 to promote the drive and help support our veterans! Reintegrating with the community is a challenge for many reasons, and our veterans deserve all of our support during the process! With that said, MY SUIT COLLECTION is still underway for the next few weeks and we are halfway to our goal of 1,000 items as of now! Please shoot me a message if you have clothing to donate!

XOXO Lauren

#DOMORE24

Tomorrow is the DOMORE24 challenge! Make sure to take a picture of you and your loved ones with a #DOMORE24 sign for instagram! The hashtags to use are #UWNCA, #Domore24, and #ourmilitarykids ! Help me raise scholarship money for our military children! Check out my instagram tomorrow to see some examples!

XOXO Lauren

Miss Connecticut Golf Tournament!

I try to keep my blogs short and sweet so I apologize in advance, but HOLY COW what an incredible day at the Miss Connecticut Golf Tournament! My foursome started off the day greeted by our very own MISS AMERICA, Cara Mund! She is such a wonderful representative of all that a women can be and it was an honor to stand beside her during the registration process this morning!


The morning progressed to a fabulous day on the greens after registration and the Stanley Golf Course did not disappoint as a host! The course was beautifully maintained and the refreshments and staff were wonderful to work with throughout the day! My princess and I had a day filled with laughs and smiles as we played 18 holes of lost golf balls hehheee ☺️ We were visited on the course by our reigning Miss CT and Miss CTOT for an added bonus as well!


After a quick change in the evening we spent dinner hosted by our Miss CT and Miss America! Cara's speech was enlightening and highlighted all the reasons why the organization is relevant to both women and the country. Furthermore, the raffles were a blast and spending an evening with sponsors is always a treat! The Miss CT Scholarship Org really went above and beyond to create an incredible day, and I am already looking forward to next years event!

XOXO Lauren

!Journey Check IN!

WE ARE ALMOST HALFWAY TO OUR GOAL OF 1,000 ITEMS! Huge thanks to everyone who has been donating to the suit drive for Save-A-Suit! We still have a few weeks left in military appreciation month and I am confident we will surpass that goal! Keep following throughout the month to see just how far we get and don't forget to click the message button to get in contact with me about your own donation!

XOXO Lauren

GradSHUation!

Today I walked for my 5th college degree with a 4.0 GPA! Even though I still have some credits and final comprehensive exams to complete over the summer I am ecstatic to be achieving my MS in Applied Psychology through Sacred Heart University. I also owe so much of my education to the Miss America Org. as I have been awarded over 70 THOUSAND dollars in scholarships since I began working with the organization as a teenager! WHAT AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY ❤️

XOXO Lauren

Craft 260

The staff at Craft 260 had a festival today raising money for the CT Fallen Heroes, and as always it was an honor to share the organization, run raffles, and help host the event as a representative! Our next fundraiser is the May 25th golf tournament, so please let me know if you are interested! All the money raised throughout the year culminates in our Gold Star Family event September 29th, a cause worthy of so much support!

XOXO Lauren

Fitness Push

An afternoon spent grinding at HealthTrax was just what I needed. I can't thank Mike and Ryan enough for their motivation and amazing workout! I am excited for the next few weeks for my fitness journey and continuing to live a healthy lifestyle!

XOXO Lauren

Day in the Capitol

What an amazing day sharing ideas, discussing policy, and pushing reform. I had the chance to be announced on the house floor and meet with our CT Director of the Veterans Committee. I also spent the day collecting suits for Save-A-Suit and helping support our veterans in that regard! All in all, an extremely productive day on multiple fronts for our veterans in CT!

XOXO Lauren

First Rehearsal

Kicking off choreography for the 90th Miss Connecticut pageant was surreal! The class of 2018 met this evening in Bristol, for rehearsal and we got a lot accomplished! SO many surprises are in the works and us girls are planning to kill it! Here's to whats next!

XOXO Lauren