2019 Ms. Wheelchair Kansas Crowning Cermony
Posted February 22, 2019 by Mandy Smith in Recreation
The Ms. Wheelchair Kansas (MWKS) crowning ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, March 3, 2019, 2 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel in Lawrence, Kan. The ceremony will be open to the public and free of charge. It will include platform speech presentations by the contestants; a keynote speech from Ms. Wheelchair Missouri, Hilary Muehlberger; farewell from the current titleholders, and crowning of the new Ms. Wheelchair Kansas and Little Miss Wheelchair Kansas. Brittany Moore, with KSNT News in Topeka, will serve as Mistress of Ceremonies.
The mission of the MWKS program is to annually select one woman, who is wheelchair mobile, who will successfully advocate, educate, and empower all people on a state level. This is NOT a beauty contest, but rather a competition to select the most articulate, accomplished delegate who will serve as a role model and spokesperson for people with disabilities in Kansas. The crowned titleholder will have the opportunity to travel throughout the state educating various groups about the issues of importance to people with disabilities. She will share her voice and platform with the community through presentations, public appearances, and interaction with the media. Her reign will ultimately lead up to an opportunity to attend the national competition in July, where she will represent Kansas and compete for the title of Ms. Wheelchair America.
The two contestants participating in the 2019 MWKS competition are Andrea Romero of Wichita and Kynedi Weaver of Olathe. These contestants will participate in a variety of activities March 1 – 3 to prepare for Sunday’s crowning. The contestants will be scored during four different events: two personal interview sessions, a platform speech presentation, and on-stage questions. Judges will evaluate the participants based on their accomplishments, self-perception, communication, and projection skills. The contestants will also take part in a variety of informative sessions on such topics as self-esteem, advocacy, and working with the media, and will experience giving back to the community through a volunteer experience.
Ms. Wheelchair Kansas will also be announcing the new Little Miss Wheelchair Kansas. The Little Miss program gives the younger generation of 5-12 year olds the opportunity to educate, meet people, share their voice, and learn from adult role models. Ariana Hutchinson of Topeka, the current Little Miss, will pass her title onto the next young role model at this year’s ceremony.
The Ms. Wheelchair America Program was created in 1972, and this is the sixteenth year that Kansas will be represented at the national competition. The reigning titleholder, Allison Merriam of Kansas City, has worked in this past year to empower Kansans and spread her platform of “Transformation of the Perception of Disability.” She will say farewell at the crowning ceremony and will pass her crown on to the 2019 titleholder. Be there as we celebrate 15 years, say goodbye to our current titleholders, and crown the new Ms. Wheelchair Kansas and Little Miss Wheelchair Kansas!
For more information, please contact Carrie Greenwood, State Coordinator, at (785) 267-5982 or via e-mail at mswheelchairkansas@yahoo.com. More information can also be found on the Ms. Wheelchair Kansas website at www.mswheelchairkansas.org.
The Ms. Wheelchair Kansas program is sponsored in part by the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation.
