Send off party to honor Miss Alabama USA
Friends and family will have an official send-off party for Miss Alabama USA Madeline Mitchell on Sunday from 2 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. at the A. W. Todd Centre in Russellville.
Mitchell, who is a Russellville native and a 2006 RHS graduate, will soon begin making media appearances and doing promotions for the upcoming Miss USA pageant she will compete in on June 19 in Las Vegas, so the send-off party will serve as an opportunity for people in the community she grew up in to wish her well before she starts her Miss USA pageant journey.
There will be an additional send-off party on May 19 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m at Above, a rooftop bar located at the Redmont Hotel in downtown Birmingham.
While both send-off parties will be a time to gather with family and friends, the send-off party in Birmingham will also double as a fundraiser for tornado disaster relief – a cause that really hits home for Mitchell.
“I live in Tuscaloosa and was home when the tornado hit,” Mitchell said. “When I walked outside after it was over, everything was just completely gone. There was even one guy who was running down the road whose car was completely gone.
“I couldn’t imagine losing my home or my vehicles and how hard that must be, so I want to do the best I can to help out.”
Mitchell has already raised $5,000 for tornado victims by auctioning off a ring given to her by former Miss USA Tara Conner. She also has a children’s book in the works and Mitchell said the proceeds from the sale of that book will also go towards helping the tornado victims.
“The book is basically about my experience with the tornado and everything being gone in a matter of minutes,” Mitchell said. “The message will be that you never know which day is your last, so you should live life to the fullest.”
Dohn Dye, executive director of the Miss Alabama USA and Miss Alabama Teen USA pageants, has been working with Mitchell in between her busy schedule to get the book published.
“With Madeline being an elementary education major, she really wanted to do a children’s book,” Dye said. “Ideally we want to have the book finished by the end of May. We’re working as quickly as we can to get it published because Madeline really wants to help the tornado victims who have lost everything.”
Mitchell will leave for New York City on May 24 to begin a media tour with 40 other Miss USA contestants. The tour will include an appearance on Regis and Kelly as well as several other TV shows.
Closer to the pageant, Mitchell will also attend a red carpet event in Las Vegas, a formal dinner with Donald Trump and many other events.
She has also been asked to arrive in Las Vegas a couple of days prior to the pageant to serve as a model for an ad with Farouk Systems (CHI), who serve as the official hair care sponsor of the Miss USA pageant.
“This is a very exciting time for me and I’m looking forward to everything I have coming up in the next several weeks,” Mitchell said. “Everyone here in Russellville has been so supportive of me, and I would love for everyone to come out for the send-off party on Sunday. It will be a fun time and a great chance for me to see and thank all these people for their encouragement.”
