This Miss Mass. has a talent for making wishes come true
Posted by Constance Lindner - The Boston Globe on Jan 7, 2010, 06:27
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| Amanda Kelly of Braintree will represent the state in the Miss America pageant in Las Vegas. Yoon S. Byun |
BRAINTREE - Even those closest to self-professed jock Amanda Kelly could never have imagined the Braintree native immersed in the world of beauty pageants. Yet Kelly is the reigning Miss Massachusetts, poised to compete in the Miss America pageant on Jan. 30 in Las Vegas.
Kelly, 23, was inspired to enter the pageant when she saw how her younger sister, Tiffany, was able to use her Miss Massachusetts USA title to help raise funds for childhood cancer research, a cause with personal resonance for the Kelly family.
Youngest sister Vanessa was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2004, and the family found itself mired in rounds of chemotherapy and worries about the 11-year-old’s prog nosis. But then the Make-a-Wish Foundation, which grants the requests of seriously ill children, treated the entire family to a weeklong vacation in Maui once Vanessa was well enough to travel.
The reprieve from treatments and “what ifs’’ brought so much joy to the family that they wanted to give back in some way.
Amanda Kelly serves as a liaison between the Make-A-Wish Foundation and children and their families, something she began doing three years ago while attending Brandeis University on an athletic scholarship.
She graduated in 2008 with a Hispanic studies major, and now uses her language skills as a bilingual “wish-granter’’ for Make-A-Wish, in addition to other responsibilities for the organization.
Since winning the title of Miss Massachusetts 2009, Kelly has served as the state spokeswoman for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. She is also state ambassador for the Children’s Miracle Network, which raises funds for children’s hospitals. And she has created the Wishes and Miracles organization to raise money and awareness for both of those groups.
Kelly appreciates the way the pageant encourages participants to adopt a philanthropic platform to raise awareness for a particular cause. Many of the events she has attended in her role as Miss Massachusetts have put her in touch with an even broader range of organizations than those she champions.
“Beauty pageants used to be about being placed on a pedestal, wearing white gloves,’’ said Kelly. But today, she said, the typical contestant is helpful and there for others, and continues to be involved in community service long after she retires her crown. “She just happens to also be glamorous and know how to walk in 5-inch heels,’’ she added in jest.
Though the Miss America pageant, which dates back to 1921, now includes a reality show format to appeal to today’s audience, the contest still judges participants by their ability to model an evening gown and swimsuit, as well as by their artistic expression, lifestyle, and fitness, a personal interview, and an unrehearsed on-stage question.
Preparation for the 10-day event can be grueling, and difficult to make time for given the many events Kelly attends as part of her role as Miss Massachusetts. But she has found support for her hectic schedule and personal goals at the Weymouth Club, where she works out daily, and at the Burt Wood School of Performing Arts in Middleborough, where she receives vocal and interview training three times a week through the school’s pageant program.
Lorna Brunelle, voice coach for the Miss Massachusetts organization and owner of the Burt Wood School of Performing Arts, has seen Kelly through three Miss Massachusetts competitions and is coaching her for the Miss America pageant. A cancer survivor herself, Brunelle also considers Kelly a friend.
Recently, the two met to celebrate Brunelle’s fifth cancer-free year.
Last year, Brunelle called on Kelly to help a child who she knew was too shy to manage an interview with the Make-a-Wish Foundation. She was touched by Kelly’s offer to fly in from Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., where she was in the middle of an internship, to help.
“A diagnosis of cancer creates a tumultuous time for a family,’’ said Kelly. “I go into these homes understanding what they’re going through because I’ve lived it myself.’’
“She shows such empathy and compassion,’’ said Brunelle. “Whether she is attending something for Habitat for Humanity, a veterans’ event, or the opening of an eatery, she doesn’t just show up for events and wave, but really connects.’’
Kelly has often been moved by what children wish for, like the 17-year-old with debilitating lupus who wanted a laptop for her freshman year in college so she could feel more like students healthy enough to go to a dorm with boxes and valises full of new supplies. Then there were the children at the Jeffrey Coombs Memorial Foundation party for families of Massachusetts servicemen and women, whose conversations with Santa centered on the safe return of family members stationed overseas rather than dolls and Tonka trucks.
Kelly says she has been fortunate to see her own fondest wish come true. Vanessa, now 16, 6 feet tall, and considering a modeling career, is very close to the five-year cancer-free mark herself.
“My sisters were there for me when I needed them, and I think it’s awesome that they want to help everyone else in that situation,’’ said the youngest Kelly, who plans to become a wish-granter as soon as she turns 21.
A send-off for Amanda Kelly will take place tomorrow at 7 p.m. in the grand ballroom of Middleborough Town Hall, 10 Nickerson Ave., Middleborough. The public is welcome.
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