Stevie Mack, Miss Kansas’ Outstanding Teen, has dedicated her summer to raising funds for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMNH) and wanted to think of a few creative ideas to assist with her fundraising efforts. Each summer, Stevie spends one week at the Butler Showchoir Showcase at Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas. The camp hosts approximately four hundred high school campers, teachers, staff, and guest artists from all over the country.

Stevie used this opportunity as a way to raise funds for CMNH by having a Change War. The campers were divided into groups of about seventy students and were told each group would have a bucket with their group name placed on the front. Throughout the week they could place change in the buckets to gain positive points. If they wanted to use cash, they were able to place it in the bucket of a different group which would cause negative points–but the money would still go to CMNH.

All of the student groups, as well as the teacher’s group, participated in this fun initiative. By Friday evening, the buckets of change were counted, and the end result was about $500 in change raised to benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Stevie, the camp staff, and student campers were thrilled with the results and incredibly proud they had raised $500 using only spare change!

One week after the Butler Showchoir Showcase, a staff member from the camp ran a similar camp through the Children’s Youth Theatre of Wichita. Fifty-three students helped raise $175 competing in a Change War. Those proceeds also went to CMNH through Stevie’s efforts. Altogether, Stevie has raised $6,242 this summer directly benefiting CMNH!

Stevie is entering her junior year at Trinity Academy in Wichita. Throughout her year as Miss Kansas’ Outstanding Teen, she will promote her platform of “Overcoming Adversity: em-BRACE the future.”

For more information, e-mail Lisa Ronen or visit the Miss Kansas Organization website.

The Phoenix Children's Hospital got a royal visit on Monday from Miss America, Laura Kaeppeler. It was her first hospital visit this year.

The Children's Miracle Network Hospital patients got to spend time talking and doing crafts with Miss America. At the end of her visit, Laura presented the hospital with a check for more than $360,000 that will be used in the learning center, "One Darn Cool School," at the hospital.

"It's been a great morning, and full of lots of laughs from the kids. They are so much fun. I hoped to brighten their day but, they brightened my day just as much," Laura said.

Click here to see a video of Miss America at the Phoenix Children's Hospital.

The Children's Miracle Network is the official platform of the Miss America Organization.

Source and Photos: Miss America Organization

Catch up with Elizabeth Fechtel, MAOTeen 2012, after her week with Philadelphia, PA.

Teresa spent time in Orlando to promote "May is for Miracles." Read about her trip!

As they gear up for the 2011 Miss America Pageant presented by DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse on ABC Saturday, Jan. 15, the 53 contestants armed with forks and spatulas and donning aprons and their state sashes, gathered in Las Vegas...