Stampede means alot to me because it brings the citizens of Calgary and outside of Calgary together. It encourages people to get out there and experience the culture of Calgary in the form of the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth! It was an honor to be asked to serve free traditional canadian breakfast.. Pancakes and sausages.[= I participated in 3 pancake breakfasts, one to support the Salvation Army in Calgary, and two that raised money for the Firefighters Burn Treatment Center. I love to support charities and help raise money for good causes while sporting my crown and sash.. Or in this case cowboy hat and sash! 

Stampede breakfast number one! - Salvation Army

I arrived early in the day to a NorthWest location where there was a moon bounce, a hall where I got to serve breakfast to young children, happy elders, and representatives from the Salvation Army. It was a rewarding job being able to supervise the children playing on the moon bounce and helping the elderly pour their coffee

 but the highlight of my day, was when a little girl came up to me and asked me for my autograph. Being a "princess" and all I obliged gleefully! I love being a role model to children, and I love having kids look up to me like an older sister.

Stampede Breakfast number 2 & 3 - Firefighters Burn Treatment Center

I went to this event twice and did two different jobs, because i loved it so much! This event was deep in Calgary's jungle i.e. Downtown so it is usually very hard to find parking. We thought ahead and decided to take a bus down to the event. This was one of my first experiences on a bus. I know, quite pathetic being 14 and still new at busses, but there is a first time for everything. I must say, I like taking busses! You meet so many new and interesting people, it opened my eyes to how diverse Calgary really is! Once arriving upon my destination, I walked down the street to a long line of calgarians anxiously awaiting their pancakes and sausages, bragging about how much they were going to donate to this amazing cause. I was soon assigned an important job which was to spread the word about the firefighters burn treatment center, and tell people that the recommended donation is $3 but you can donate more or less or none at all! Many people had amazing conversations with me about my pageant, my title, my platform, my shoes and many other various topics. I was asked by many people to describe my experience, and I replied that it was an amazing character enhancing journey that had taught me valuable life lessons, morals and values. I enjoyed talking with the people who were donating their time and money to this charity. After I spent an hour and a half communicating with everyone, I was asked to go on stage and talk about my platform, my journey to Miss Teen Canada-World, and how to vote. I also then announced the singer who's name was Patrick Masse. The next day, I arrived on location feeling energized and ready for the challenges the day would surely hurl at me. The first thing that they asked me to do for the morning was station myself at a grill and make pancakes. Now, I have never made a decent pancake in my life. I have tried a multitude of times, but they just never seem to cook right. But I decided to try anyways. They had a large grill and a small device that measured the perfect  amount of pancake batter. even though some of my pancakes still came out uneven or quite burnt, the people were still quite gracious and kind about my slight lack of cooking skills. About an hour after I had been stationed at the grill, we heard the wail of fire truck sirens and everyone turned their concerned gaze towards the source of the sound. Thankfully no-one was in any danger, since it was just the firemen and firewomen coming to party with us! they pulled up in front of the scotiabank banner, and asked me for a picture with them! Of course, I happily obliged. One funny thing you may notice about this picture, is that every firefighter is taller than me! I was wearing heels, and flat footed I am 5'8", so all these firemen were about 6'0"! It surprised me how tall they all were, and so very kind also. I love stampede, and sadly it only comes once a year, but there are many more events to come! [=