Pageant winner selects personal cause
SALEM -- World Peace?
Nah.
Pass.
Asbestos awareness?
Now you're talking.
In an era of beauty queens and pageant winners inevitably running on a platform of world peace or other overly utopian ideals, Sarah Biddle, the 2006 Miss Salem County, has chosen a platform that separates her from the pack.
"My platform is 'Breath of Hope,'" said Biddle. "It's a program designed to raise awareness about Mesothelioma, a cancer caused by over-exposure to asbestos."
Biddle resisted the urge to choose something more well known, and instead focus on something that had affected her life and something that would bring attention to a relatively unknown problem in Salem County.
Biddle's grandfather, Ike Kline, owned a prominent heating and plumbing business in Salem County. Because of overexposure to asbestos on the job, Kline contracted Mesothelioma and died in November 2003.
Biddle wants people to know she will use the title of Miss Salem County 2006 to bring awareness to a disease that many people have never even heard of in the Salem community.
"I wanted to take the title I have and actually use it for something," said Biddle. "I want people to come away with information about the symptoms of Mesothelioma and the tests they can have done to detect it."
Biddle has organized a benefit dinner in April for the memory of her grandfather. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, of which Biddle is a volunteer.
"Hopefully a few local businesses and business owners will give their support to the benefit dinner," said Biddle.
Biddle will compete in the Miss New Jersey pageant from June 13 to 17 in Ocean City. She will compete against 32 other pageant winners.
The winner will be crowned Miss New Jersey and go on to compete for the title of Miss America 2007.
Nah.
Pass.
Asbestos awareness?
Now you're talking.
In an era of beauty queens and pageant winners inevitably running on a platform of world peace or other overly utopian ideals, Sarah Biddle, the 2006 Miss Salem County, has chosen a platform that separates her from the pack.
"My platform is 'Breath of Hope,'" said Biddle. "It's a program designed to raise awareness about Mesothelioma, a cancer caused by over-exposure to asbestos."
Biddle resisted the urge to choose something more well known, and instead focus on something that had affected her life and something that would bring attention to a relatively unknown problem in Salem County.
Biddle's grandfather, Ike Kline, owned a prominent heating and plumbing business in Salem County. Because of overexposure to asbestos on the job, Kline contracted Mesothelioma and died in November 2003.
Biddle wants people to know she will use the title of Miss Salem County 2006 to bring awareness to a disease that many people have never even heard of in the Salem community.
"I wanted to take the title I have and actually use it for something," said Biddle. "I want people to come away with information about the symptoms of Mesothelioma and the tests they can have done to detect it."
Biddle has organized a benefit dinner in April for the memory of her grandfather. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, of which Biddle is a volunteer.
"Hopefully a few local businesses and business owners will give their support to the benefit dinner," said Biddle.
Biddle will compete in the Miss New Jersey pageant from June 13 to 17 in Ocean City. She will compete against 32 other pageant winners.
The winner will be crowned Miss New Jersey and go on to compete for the title of Miss America 2007.
posted by Chris Placitella | 9:17 AM
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