When the beauty from North Carolina, Kristen Dalton, was named Miss USA 2010 on a stage in Las Vegas, Nevada, last April, she knew that philanthropy would be a big part of her reign.  “I wanted to be Miss USA so I could make a difference and spend much of my time volunteering,” Dalton stated right away.  It is clear from her history of volunteerism and fundraising that this was not a statement she said with a light heart.

Volunteerism and giving back started with Kristen at a young age when her church youth group would distribute Christmas gifts to underprivileged families in her hometown.  “I was very humbled as a child to see these kids get excited about receiving anything for Christmas, they didn’t care what it was.”

As Miss USA, Kristen serves as an official spokesperson for Breast and Ovarian Cancer, works with the Special Olympics and the U.S.O.  She participates in every facet of fundraising from attending parties and walking the red carpet, to speaking with women in the hospital and groups of women on the topic of prevention, and she even puts herself up for auction to raise money.

“I can bring between $2,500- $4000 at an auction to have dinner with me, isn’t that crazy?” Kristen says humbly.  Most recently she was “purchased” as a Christmas gift for two, what must have been very excited, fifteen year-old boys.  “Their parents wanted them to learn manners and how to go on a proper date at a nice restaurant.”

What she enjoys most is speaking engagements.  “I love to speak in schools and having the opportunity  to discuss goal setting, positive thinking, and how to deal with peer pressure,” Kristen says with enthusiasm.  She also loves working and speaking with women who are effected by breast and ovarian cancer.  Recently she spoke at Mountain Side Hospital in Montclair, New Jersey, and spent time with the women who were patients there.  “These women were just happy to talk to someone and appreciated that someone cared.”  When I asked Kristin when she feels she makes the most impact she said, hands down, when she speaks on ovarian cancer.  “No one ever talks about it and their is no screening process to detect it.  The symptoms are the same as when a woman is menstruating so doctors do not usually test for it.  Women must know their body and demand a test.”  Many women who heard Kristen speak took it to heart and told her they would be making an appointment with their doctor. “It was great to see that I was making a difference.”

Kristen also works with Scan Van, a mobile mammogram unit in New York that travels to the five burrows to give women who have no insurance or poor insurance the opportunity to get mammograms.

Kristen is also very passionate about the U.S. Military and through her persistent pushing and a chance meeting with the head of the USO Kristen and the current Miss Universe Stefania Fernandez will be heading to the Middle East to meet with troops stationed there.  “Traveling to the Middle East to visit troops was the one thing I wanted to do as Miss USA and I am so excited to finally be going. As Miss North Carolina, I raised money for our local USO, which is privately funded.”

When I asked Kristen to recall her favorite appearance as Miss USA, she was very excited to tell me about her time during Thanksgiving spent at Fort Drum Military Base in upstate New York.  “Instead of participating in the Thanksgiving Day parade I went to Fort Drum.”  Kristen spent four days with soldiers, their families, and children who had parents deployed on active duty.  She also had the opportunity to experience the virtual training facility, shoot military weapons and use IED explosives.  “I thought training was all about physical tests and pushups until this trip.”

My final question with the lovely Kristen was “What does philanthropy mean to you?”  Kristen took a deep breath and said “I know it starts with a check, charities can’t function and help people with out the money and it has to grow from there.”

Kristen has been a wonderful Miss USA and has touched the lives of so many.  As a former Miss Teen USA, I know personally how much time and effort a titleholder puts in and how rewarding it is to make a difference.  Kristen will give up her title this coming May live on NBC but it will not stop her efforts in bringing attention to causes she find dear to her heart.

To learn more about Kristen, her charity work, visit Miss USA.

Photos provided by Miss Universe Organization L.P., LLP

About the author: Keylee Sanders, Style Studio

Keylee Sanders is a fashion stylist and is the Founder of Style Studio - a style consultation business based in San Francisco.

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