On Aug. 12, I made a surprise visit to the RDU USO Center!  It was my Mom's first time visiting the center and getting to meet all of the great staff and wonderful volunteers who help!  There were about 40 to 50 Marines there coming from a camp out in CA for basic training to boot camp and heading to Camp Johnson in Jacksonville.  They were great!!!!  Every single new friend I made in these fine young men, just had the absolute best personalities and I really enjoyed the stories they told me and finding out where they were from and how honored they were to be defending our country!  I saw some of my favorite volunteers-Don and Mary!  And before I left I was able to tell them how much I appreciated their patriotism and what they were doing for our wonderful country, and how much I loved the USO!  

The next day on 8/13/2009, I went back out to the Victory Junction Gang Camp for their final NASCARNIVAL of the year!  WOW!  I just love this place and everyone there!  They are amazing people, doing amazing things for children all over the world who come here to go to camp!  This week the children had TM Disorder, which is a neurological disease.  This is the only camp in the entire world that can offer recreation and fun to these children!  Their families were there with them, so it was a lot of fun to see their interaction together for this fun night!  Again, they had the giant hot air balloons, the Krispy Kreme dipping station and popcorn, cotton candy, and a band!  I met so many new friends, like Peter and Bridget!  They were both a Hoot, so funny!  And taller than me, which they all loved to point out-"even with my high heels on," they would say!  Amanda took my Dad and I on a great tour of all of the grounds, and he loved it!  We saw the pit crew again, they were all extremely nice!  And of course we made it in time for the dancing after dinner!  These kids really are the "World's Greatest!"  Thank you VJGC for another wonderful time!  

Saturday was a big day for me~  I went out and helped with two fundraisers!  In the morning I went to the Make A Wish Fundraiser at OCharley's in Greensboro!  They donated breakfast food and it was all you can eat pancakes, juice, coffee, bacon and sausage for $5.00 for MAW! All the great volunteers were there helping!  It was from 8 to 10 AM and with breakfast and donations we made over $1,000!  And I was so honored to make a donation to them from the check I received from winning the award for favorite online contestant at Miss International!  Then I went to Raleigh, where downtown at RAY-PRICE Harley Davidson they were having their annual USO Freedom Ride!  I saw a dog on the back of a Harley with goggles and a helmet on-it was soooooo cute!!!   I met so many great people and had the privilege of sitting on a Harley for some pictures!  WOW-what a bike!  Everyone there was so nice and welcoming, and they helped the USO raise over $15,000 for the troops!  Thank you to all the volunteers and staff who came out (in the HOT weather) to help!  It was a great weekend!