Chelsea just GLOWED the whole time! Here is how it ran:
Several Months Ago
We registered Chelsea (we had signed up for a reminder email when it was time to register last year). Registration was very easy, just answered some questions about age, that we lived in Texas, and a couple other things. The most difficult part was just uploading a picture of her and maybe the first page of her IEP. That was all! The only cost to participate was a few cans of food that would get donated to a local food bank.
The Week Before
Because Chelsea had wanted to participate in the talent portion of the show (that part is optional), I needed to send in a music clip. So I did that and responded to an email when I introduced Chelsea, said what made her amazing, and a couple getting to know you questions. I also programmed her talking device with answers to the interview questions that had been sent out.
The Day Of
1. We arrived at the theater where the show would take place (they get different venues, and this time it was at a ballet center downtown), and lugged in all of our makeup, hair stuff, dresses, shoes, and all sorts of fun things!
2. We signed in, dropped off our cans to donate, and took an orientation tour of the facility.
3. There was food for the girls and parents, so we got some snacks, and we set up where we wanted to get ready
4. Girls were coming in all the time at this point, and I realized that the dress Chelsea picked was super plain in comparison- everyone else had full out ballgowns!
5. We got Chelsea in her interview dress and did her hair and makeup. Her buddies were there, and encouraged me to just relax and enjoy the show; they would take care of everything.
6. Chelsea made friends with some other girls and got to pick an escort (a guy in a very nice suit or tux that would walk her around the stage- SO CUTE!!!)
7. We took pictures by the photo booths they had set up for the girls
8. The show started!!!
The Interview
All the girls would come out and answer questions. It was so cool to see all the different methods of communication! Chelsea used her AAC device, other girls spoke, others signed, and one used her sister to speak for her!
They answered questions like "What is your favorite color?" and "What do you want to be when you grow up?" and my favorite "What makes you amazing?"
It was super relaxed, so some girls just went up and said something like "My name is Fiona and I am 14 years old". Others interacted with the emcee and joked around. All the girls were cheered on.
Chelsea was super sweet during her interview, and said that when she grew up, she wanted to be Snow White at Disneyworld, and an elephant keeper at the zoo.
The Evening Wear
Each girl modeled a dress of her own choosing. It was so sweet to see how special and fancy each girl felt! Chelsea was just glowing the whole time.
Part of this section was having an escort. Some girls had a dad or boyfriend or someone they already knew escorting them, and others had volunteer escort. Chelsea had a volunteer escort, and he was super sweet with her, escorting her and helping her with her device.
Talent Show
Some of the girls showed a talent they had! My personal favorite was a girl in a wheelchair who did a comedy skit and I laughed a lot! Chelsea danced to a Snow White song with her granddaddy, who is an excellent ballroom dancer and made her look great!
The Crowning
This was really cool- all the girls got a trophy and crown, and then there were some queens crowned from some of the sections of girls 10-28 years old (I think- I didn't [ay much attention since Chelsea was too young to compete in those sections). The girls who win their division go on to nationals.
Chelsea LOVED her trophy and crown, and took them to school to show her class
Overall
All in all, I thought that this was a wonderful program! Very inexpensive, made Chelsea feel like a princess for the day, and I cried many tears of happiness, seeing Chelsea shine. We plan on doing this again for sure!
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