Mrs South Carolina International, Elizabeth Malvasia, Throws Opening Pitch at the Charlotte Knights!

What a fantastic night! And no, for those who think perhaps that I wowed the crowed with a surprise, cannon-fire pitch...WRONG! My pitch was very much what I and everyone else thought (feared!) it would be....pret-ty bad! :( 

Mrs SC Intl -Elizabeth Malvasia, Miss SC Intl Chelsea Gregory, and Teen Miss SC Intl Avery Close

bonding over fried dough and cotton candy, and enjoying a night at the ball-park!



However, the lines and lines of children who I high-fived on their way out to sing the national anthem (sooo cute!), the 9 year old boy who was celebrating his birthday and joined us on the mound (and threw a pitch that blew mine out of the water!), the countless precious little girls and boys who I hugged, took photos with, and autographed their stuff, and the once in a lifetime bonding time with my darling sisters (Miss and Teen Miss SC) and their moms, MORE THAN made up for a few brief moments of humiliation on the pitchers mound!

One of the greatest joys of being Mrs SC are the opportunities given to me to truly celebrate my community. Sitting in the stands, chatting with those seated around us, I was amazed at how quickly and completely people opened their lives and hearts to me. In a way that probably would never have occurred were I not wearing my crown and sash. It is truly humbling...


Up next for me, I am giving the key-note address at the Grand Opening of the Ronald McDonald House in Charlotte, NC! Pics to follow!!

Elizabeth Malvasia Collects Nearly 1,000 Books for Ronald McDonald House!

To say that the Southern Paradise Ball fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House was a success would be an understatement! Just over 900 books were collected and sent to fill the house's two libraries. A spokesperson for the house was on-hand the evening of Sunday April 17th to accept the overwhelming donation and shared with all those in attendance that "a national book selling franchise hosted a book drive for us this year and collected less than half of what Elizabeth was able to rally from her team".

Elizabeth Malvasia collecting books at the Southern Paradise Ball

One successful event behind her, Elizabeth is already at work on her next RMDH endeavor. She is the key-note speaker at the grand opening of the Charlotte Ronald McDonald house! She will also be working with the teen volunteer teams in the Charlotte and Columbia houses, instilling in them the desire to truly change lives through volunteering!

Elizabeth and the incredibly overwhelmed RMDH community outreach director

My Little Ambassador...

Caylie has been helping me by collecting books from friends, family, and school for the RMDH book-drive on Sunday. Here are the results of her hard work...

Beautiful smile, hard-working, and a heart for giving...I see a crown in this young lady's future!

Thank you Caylie! xo

PHOTOS: The Books are Piling In!

Mini book-drives have been going on through out the city in preparation for my big event on Sunday. A big thank you to DanceSport Carolina student Jane Welton for organizing this collection!

From South Charlotte's "Baby Boot Camp"! Thank you!!

Southern Paradise Ball in 3 Days!

So overwhelmed, so nervous, so EXCITED! Hosting the Southern Paradise Ball is a major deal. It is a nationally recognized championships with studios traveling into Charlotte to compete from across the SouthEast. The pressure is indescribable! Adding to the fun this year, I have combined the competition with a fundraising ball for the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte. This means that in addition to all that needs to be done in running the event and training to compete with a student for the pro-Am title, I have been running "mini" book drives around the city for the past few weeks, all of which will culminate with the big event this Sunday. My goal has been to need a U-haul to transport all the books away, and I am pretty sure this will be the case! The smaller drives should all be wrapping up tomorrow and I will post pictures of what's coming so far!

Never one to shy away from an opportunity to serve the public, I am accepted an invitation to sit front-row at a fashion show and open a red-carpet on Saturday night. While I am beyond excited to attend such a fabulous event, this means I will most likely be setting out centerpieces with my husband sometime between 2 and 3am! Ah, the life of a beauty-queen/business mogul!

Countdown is On!

Next weekend is going to be pretty exciting, and pretty CRAZY!! It kicks off with a red carpet appearance and front row seating at a fashion show on Saturday night. From there I will head straight to the Ballantyne Resort Hotel to finish up last-minute preparations for the national Ballroom and Latin dancesport championship that my husband and I own. (and of course squeeze in the traditional midnight, hour-long rehearsal with my partner!) We have over 1,300 entries over the course of the day and studios from Georgia, Tennessee, and across the Carolinas. Dancing takes place for 8 solid hours and commences with the evening's black-tie ball and scholarship competitions. In addition to running the day's events and running the Ronald McDonald House book-drive that is in conjunction with it, I am also competing with a student for the Southern Paradise Ball Open Smooth Championship title! That means that in between all that has to be done this week for the two events, hours of rehearsing and practicing need to be taking place.

What a late-night, last-minute rehearsal looks like!

So today finds me home from church, organizing piles of couture dresses and gowns in preparation for next weekend, while my hubby sits for hours in the study pouring over heat-sheets and other forms of data entry for the event. I will spend the latter part of the day contacting the committee heads of the various smaller book-drives that I have been running in lead-up to the big day on Sunday April 17th! I am so grateful that this is my life and SO excited that the events described is my weekend next week! Above all, I am grateful for the man with whom I am able to share it all and the marriage that is the core of such amazing successes.

Until next time, so greatful to be,

Mrs. South Carolina International 2011

PS~ For more info on the Southern Paradie Ball DanceSport Championship and how you can attend, visit http://www.southernparadiseball.com/, or call DanceSport Carolina Dance Studio at 704-299-4003. If you wish to help with or contribute to our Ronald McDonald House Book Drive, please email me directly at elizabeth@dancesportcarolina.com , or message me on my facebook page: Mrs South Carolina International 2001, Elizabeth Malvasia

Elizabeth Malvasia Signs Autographs at the Bobcats!

A wonderful evening was had by all! From the children who got to meet real-life "princesses", to the princesses themselves who got the opportunity to both serve their community and be treated like royalty!

I must say a huge "THANK YOU!" to Mrs. North Carolina International 2011 Janet Risner Bolin for organizing this spectacular event! I was fortunate to spend pageant weekend with Janet and was impressed by how dynamic, successful, and driven she was. Getting to see her in her element was inspiring! She organized a massive PR push and event, all while looking the beauty-queen part and rocking fab hair, flawless make-up, and a killer white pantsuit! Women like Janet are what keep me inspired and give pageant titles their integrity. So, thank you again Janet! :)

Run for Ronald!

http://runningforronald.eventbrite.com/

Calling all runners!

DanceSport Carolina Dance Studio (My Other Life's Passion!)

Due to numerous requests, here is the link to my Ballroom and Latin Dance Company's blog and twitter pages. DanceSport Carolina is the area's largest and ONLY exclusive Ballroom and Latin dance training facility! When I am not traveling to promote Ronald McDonald House Charities, I am working with the staff and students of this incredible company!

http://www.dancesportcarolina.blogspot.com/

www.twitter.com/dancecarolina

Elizabeth Malvasia is on Twitter!

http://twitter.com/#!/MrsSCIntl2011

Be sure to follow me as I travel the Carolinas raising awareness and support for the Ronald McDonald House Charities and serve the state of South Carolina as Mrs South Carolina International 2011!

First Fundraising Event as Mrs SC in Two Weeks!

While I was only crowned Mrs. South Carolina a few weeks ago, my first major event for Ronald McDonald House is only two weeks away! I am hosting the "Southern Paradise Ball" DanceSport Championships. A nationally recognized ballroom and latin dance comeptition, the "Southern Paradise Ball" will serve as a major fundraiser for the Charlotte house! I have taken on the goal of filling the house's two on-site libraries (currently empty) with books! I am committed to filling both libraries on or by April 17th, the date of the event!

The "Southern Paradise Ball" will be held at the prestigious Ballantyne Resort Hotel in Charlotte NC. We will be collecting books all day and formally presenting a representative of the house with our donations during a black-tie, four-course dinner in the evening.

We are collecting new and VERY gently used adult and children's fiction. Donations can be dropped off at the event, or contact me directly to schedule a pick-up. (elizabeth@dancesportcarolina.com) I am so excited to meet my goal!

For more information on the "Southern Paradise Ball" DanceSport Championship, visit: http://www.southernparadiseball.com/

Until next time, so grateful to be...
Mrs. South Carolina International

A Journey Begins...