Until Next Time....Thank You!

Life as Miss Massachusetts USA has been nothing short of a dream come true!  If I could boast of only one reason to be grateful for my reign my personal growth alone would be enough to prove this experience priceless. However, I have many more reasons to be thankful. This incredible journey has taken me all around the beautiful state of Massachusetts, to New York City for the very first Miss USA NYC media tour and all the way to Las Vegas to compete in the 60^th anniversary of Miss USA!  This wouldn’t have been possible without the support of so many people. Everyone needs help along the way to success.

From the moment I was crowned Laurie and Antony welcomed me into their loving family as one of their own. Thank you for all your kind support, for the letters and gifts of encouragement at Miss USA, and for truly believing in me and sharing this once in a lifetime opportunity with me!  Neil,  I cherish our friendship that developed over hair, yes I know a TON of it! You have been and continue to be such an inspiration for me. Stacey, you are one of the most genuine and charismatic people I’ve met, thank you for guiding and coaching me.  Katie, Monique, and Marjan thank you putting up with my hatred of plios, crunches, and endless grilled chicken, but thanks to you guys I had a healthy toned body for Miss Mass USA and Miss USA! Dr. Meola, thank you for giving me a healthy smile and for crowning me with a crown I get to keep forever! Rita, you are so much more than the perfect make-up artist; thank you for sharing your wisdom, your kindness, and your grace to me. I cherish the time I spent with you getting ready for appearances! To the Clemente productions staff and sponsors, Juli Roach, Michelle and Paul Spindler, Lori,  Jim and Lisa Engelbrecht, Stewart Smith, Ron Ranere, The Crowning Touch, Elyse Jewelers,  Lacey and the Wilson’s thank you for your endless generosity  and support this year and for welcoming me into the Miss MA USA family! We really have the best family!

Rafa, my dearest friend and coach, thank you for supporting me every step of the way. You believed in me from the very beginning and guided me to a crowning victory! From Boston to New York City, to Las Vegas and back, this is not the end of our journey, I can’t wait to start the next chapter!

To my amazing sister queen Kay, I have never had a younger sister until now. You have grown into such an incredible, confident young woman and I can’t wait to see you continue your journey onto Miss USA one day! Our reign may end this evening but our friendship will never end.

To my family and close friends, thank you for being here the moment my dream came true,  for flying across the country to support me at Miss USA, for your daily letters of encouragement and inspiration, for the 4am phone calls you accepted, and the unconditional love and support you have given me this entire year.  Dad, I know it wasn’t exactly in your plan to have four daughters and you didn’t dream of being a pageant dad but like you’ve always taught me “anything is possible, so have an open mind!” Nancy, thank you for being my un-official PR rep! You have been inspiring me to do great things since I was 11 years old. I am truly blessed to have you in my life and am grateful for the life lessons you have taught me.  Randy, thank you for believing in me from the moment I met you and encouraging me through every step of Miss Mass and through Miss USA, without your love and support I would not be where I am today. Your patience and love amazes me and I am the luckiest girl to have captured your heart.

It has been an honor to volunteer for the USO, Make-a-wish Foundation, Susan G. Komen Foundation, MDA Association, and hundreds of charity organization. I’ve been blessed to be featured Live on NBC, The Today Show, Fox and Friends, Chelsea Lately, Regis & Kelly, Cupcake Wars, E! News, The Fashion Police, and Wicked Fit.  Thank you.

To the young ladies vying for the title of Miss Massachusetts USA , you are in for a wild ride, buckle up! Although only one will leave with the title today, all can aspire to make significant contributions to our communities.  Walk tall and proud, you have made it far and left a footprint in the hearts of many. To my successor, welcome to the Miss Mass. USA family! Make the most of your year, be patient, kind, and understanding, but most importantly be proactive.  Dream big and dream often, you can conquer the world!  Know that I will always be here for you as your Miss Mass sister. You are stepping into a very loving and supportive family who will help guide you to your success!

Being Miss Massachusetts USA has been an incredible honor that I will cherish for the rest of my life. No matter where I go in life, I will forever remember this experience and all it has taught me. I am honored to have been your Miss Massachusetts USA. 

Yours,

Alida D'Angona

Miss Massachusetts USA 2011

Homes for Our Troops!

This has been such a busy month with the pageant right around the corner, 2 weeks away....I can hardly believe it! This year has been such a blessing and a time I will forever cherish. Over the weekend I met a wonderful group of people who gathered to run 5 miles to support Homes for our Troops. Their mission is to build specially adapted homes for injured veterans that serve our country. I'm so thankful I was able to be a part of this and meet some great families!

 

Celebrating Hope for Rare Diseases

Last night I had the pleasure of attending NTSAD's annual Tay-Sachs benefit at Genzyme Center. As many of you know I also work at Genzyme researching rare diseases, so I was very honored when they asked me to attend the event!  A small community of people gathered at Genzyme Center to raise funds to give hope to patients and families with Tay-Sachs disease.  Tay-Sachs disease is a fatal genetic disorder caused by the absence of a critical enzyme, Hex-A, which leads to progressive neurological disorders. While there is currently no cure for Tay-Sachs, Hope is on the Horizon (which was also the theme for the night :) ). The NTSAD (National Tay-Sachs and Allied Diseases)  has hopes to raise enough money to start the first clinical trial in 2012. Last night I met families who lost their children to this devastating disease years ago when there was no hope for a cure. Today there is hope with gene therapy, but they are still in needs of funds to further this research.  I also met two very special young girls who were diagnosed with an late-onset form of this disease and are waiting for a cure.  If you would like to donate to help fund the first human clinical trial please visit http://www.ntsad.org/.

         with Dan Kirschner and Skip Irving             at Genzyme Center in Cambridge

                with an NTSAD family  

                           with Randy Barry

Yours,

Alida

Miss Massachusetts USA

Calendar for a Cure

Time flies, it’s hard to believe it’s already October! I remember getting ready for Miss MA USA this time last year- with Katie Boyd whipping me into shape! J  I love this time of year and I’m excited that October is National Breast Cancer awareness month. I was really excited when former Miss Rhode Island, Julianna Strout asked me to shoot a calendar to benefit Susan G. Komen with her at MediaBoss Studio.  5 of us took a day to shoot a calendar, which will be available soon to purchase, and all proceeds go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer.

with Rachel Vendetti, Julianna Strout (former Miss RI), Amanda Strout, and Monica Pietrzak (former Miss CT USA),

Thank you

It's been about a month since I've been back from Miss USA and I just want to take a few moments to say a Big Thank You to everyone who helped, loved, and supported me on that incredible journey! It was an experience I will never forget and one that I am having trouble even finding the right words to describe it. I was in awe of how many flowers, cards, and notes of encouragement that were sent to me while I was in Las Vegas- from my directors, sponsors, friends, coach, and family, thank you so much. It seemed like every evening when we met at the hospitality suite there was a card or note or flower arrangement with my name on it! It meant and means the world to me that I have such a caring support system!
I know so many of you are dying to know the gushy details...how were the girls...who did you room with...what was it like being on stage...how were the interviews...did you meet Trump? The list goes on and on and I could write for days (so I guess it's a good thing I kept a journal while I was out there). To answer a few for now, I had so much fun meeting all the girls and getting to experience different parts of New York and Las Vegas with them!
Most of us started our journey on a media tour in NYC where we greeted the US Troops and helped put bicycles together for USO fleet week, went on Kelly and Reggis Live, appeared on The Today Show, interviewed for E!, toured all of NYC on a sightseeing bus, and of course met the man himself, Mr. Trump!
From there a few of us went out a couple days early to shoot with Fadil for a CHI magazine shoot! I was super excited that I was selected and cannot wait to see the magazine :) 
I couldn't have asked for a better roommate, LacyJane Miss NH USA! She made the whole journey about a million times better, we hit it off right away and constantly found ourselves staying awake to reminisce and laugh over the days activities rather than sleep the 4 precious hours we had...She's such an awesome person, if you're lucky enough to know her as your friend you know exactly what I'm talking about :)
It's far to much to sum up here but I'll give you a "day in the life" if you will...hair and make up with CHI and Rain Cosmetics, photoshoots with Sherri Hill and Fadil,  interviews with NBC, Giuliana Rancic, and All Access, Best Buddies event, endless buffet meals in which we cleaned them out of asparagus and chicken, touring all over Las Vegas, shows, pool parties, and lots of rehearsals! It truly was a blessing and I'm so excited for the next Miss MA USA 2012 who gets to experience this once in  a lifetime opportunity! I will give her this one piece of advice: As tired as you will be every night, take 2 minutes and  journal about your experience each day because it will change each day and before you know it, it's gone. You get one shot to do it, so make it your best.

May Is National Brain Tumor Awareness Month

May is the National Brain Tumor Awareness Month. Did you know that over 200,000 people in the US are diagnosed with brain cancer each year?  Please help me raise awareness, funds, and find a cure for brain cancer today.

I’m on a mission to put Glioblastoma Multiforme- the most aggressive and malignant brain tumor- on the global awareness map and discover a treatment and cure.  My uncle is in the fight for his life and I won’t stop fighting for him until we find a cure.

This past weekend I had the privilege of celebrating survival and hope with 300 other people whose lives have been affected by brain tumors at the annual Miles For Hope 5K walk/run in Boston.  It was inspiring to be surrounded by so many hopeful people who shared their stories and support for others.

If you would like to donate or find a walk near you please visit www.milesforhope.org

Yours, 

Alida

Miss Massachusetts USA

Fashion Photoshoot in Boston!

Just finished shooting in Boston, check out the video!

AMHA Awards Ceremony

I want to give a special thanks to Nancy Caisse and Suzy Lucine for inviting me to the American Morgan Horse Association Awards Ceremony in Boston. It was such an honor to be a part of this special event as I've been a long time equestrian and Morgan horse enthusiast! I met so many wonderful people including the legendary Eitan Beth Halachmy, the founder of Cowboy Dressage and trainer of many Morgan champions, Mary Jean Vasiloff who was inducted into the breeders' hall of fame, Harry and Carolyn Sebring (AMHA president) and many more!  Looking forward to competing in the ring this summer and seeing you all again next year in Orlando!

Featured on USEF!

Harry and Carolyn Sebring

AMHA President

Me and my Dad

girls from AMHA youth

Oscar Night in Boston!

I had such a great time with my stylist and date, Neil Gannon at the Oscar Night held at the Mandarin Oriental in Boston to support the Ellie Fund!

I felt like I was 16 again getting ready to go to the prom, except this time I had an exceptional team helping me get ready instead of me attempting to throw a couple bobby pins in my hair and apply hot pink lipstick (hey, it matched my hot pink gown at the time!).  The lovely Rita Sorrentino of Channel did my make up, Neil styled my hair (and somehow creatively infused a decoration into it!) and I wore a gorgeous turquoise gown from Newbury 211. Here is where I’m supposed to say you can go to Newbury 211 and buy it, but I secretly want to buy it for myself so we’ll have to race to the store ;)

We stepped out onto the red carpet and immediately felt glamorous and giddy all in the same breath. I met some wonderful people and ran into a few people I already knew! I ran into one of my judges who crowned me Miss Massachusetts USA, Executive Chef Jason Santos. He keeps insisting that I come to his restaurant (Gargoyle’s) so if you’re reading this Jason, I’m holding you to it J.

I met Melissa McMeekin, Erica McDermott and Mickey O’Keefe from The Fighter,  Chris Lambton from the Bachelorette, and Jonathan Soroff from the Improper Bostonian! Wonderful night, as you can see from the photos!!

Actor, Sean Doherty

Executive Chef of Gargoyle's, Jason Santos

Stylist Neil Gannon of LeTete Boston

Chris Lambton, The Bachelorette

Photoshoot with Miss Mass. Teen USA!

Yesterday my sister queen, Kay, and I had a great opportunity to shoot with Stewart Smith Photography in Boston! Many thanks to our wonderful hair stylist, Neil Gannon of LeTete Boston, and our beautiful make up artist, Rita. I always get so excited when Richard from Elyse Jewelers shows up with his bag full of jewels! Of course, I have to say the 5 carat diamond studs are my favorite :)

Stew got some great shots, check back and see!  I'm headed out to catch a sunrise powder ski day!

Follow me on Facebook!

Please click on the link below to follow me on facebook. Become a fan of my page by "liking" the link!
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Alida-DAngona-Miss-Massachusetts-USA-2011/132636446771045

Bowling with Doug Flutie!

Last Thursday I had an amazing opportunity to not only bowl beside Doug Flutie but also help raise awareness and funds for Autism! The Eighth Annual Flutie Bowl raised money for the Doug Flutie Foundation for Autism, a charity that Doug Flutie and his wife established in honor of their son, who was diagnosed with autism.  I got to mingle with local Patriots (still super cool even though we won't be in the superbowl this year!...), Red Sox players, reality TV stars (remember Chris from The Bachelorette -Ali's season?),  Dirty Water TV hosts, and many other celebs! I had a blast and even scored a few strikes (hey, it's not bad for someone who has bowled all of 5 times!) Plus, I signed my very first Bowling Pin!

If you would like to donate to the Doug Flutie Foundation, please visit www.flutiefoundation.org.

Hometown Newspaper!

Thank you Julia Quinn-Szcesuil for writting such a lovely article!