Miss America 2011 Teresa Scanlan visited Mississippi for the first time this weekend and received a warm welcome to the home state of MAO Board Chairman, Sam Haskell, III. Teresa’s first stop was at Le Bonheur Hospital, where the children were treated to a special visit.  Teresa loved meeting them, and they were touched by her genuine kindness.  Fourteen-year-old Eason Pruitt, who was in a wheelchair recovering from a December car wreck, shared how he felt about her visit by saying that  he met Santa Claus at the hospital in December, and as far as traditions go, "I liked Miss America better!"

Wednesday evening, Miss America had another first!  She was inducted into the Sigma Chi Fraternity as the "Sweetheart Sister."  The fraternity members were thrilled to have Miss America join them and to now be a part of their rich history.  Miss America was charmed with southern hospitality and enjoyed the induction ceremony. Sam Haskell was a Sigma Chi member at Ole Miss during his college years, so this was a very special night for him, too!

On Thursday evening, Teresa joined Sam and his wife, Mary for a very prestigious event where she performed and helped salute our Board Chairman as the recipient of a distinguished honor. The BancorpSouth Conference Center was filled with past and present Boy Scouts, as well as their families, who gathered to honor Sam as the 2011 Distinguished Citizen.

Teresa stated, "Sam has a heart and a passion for helping other people." She continued, "of every Eagle Scout - you are Mr. America."

The room was filled with 400 guests who turned out to show their appreciation for Sam along with praise for his impressive list of accomplishments. Sam created the Mary Kirkpatrick Haskell Scholarship Foundation to help Mississippi students. The foundation was named after Haskell's mother, who was upmost on his mind during the ceremony.  "I think back on my life and I know one of the great activities of my young life was being a Scout. I started as a Cub Scout and worked my way to Eagle. My mother was there all the way," he said. Sam added later, "I wish she were here tonight. She would be very, very happy."

This week, Miss America is with Artistry Skincare and Cosmetics by Amway in Michigan. She is on a whirlwind visit that includes video shoots, photo shoots, a radiothon, and a Pistons game in Detroit!