Allison Rae Funds wins All American Ms. Pageant 2017
Thirty-four years a sports writer, I am traditionally outside the box, but there are two things I don’t write about or take photos of: pageants and pickleball.
But here I am, as my former student Allison Funds, a 1998 Cape graduate, now 36 years old, was off Oct. 8 to the Grande Hotel of Cape May, N.J., to compete in the 2017 All-American Ms. Pageant. She issued a direct request, “I want you to write the press release because you’re funny, so don’t try to get out of it.”
I envisioned 50 contestants vying for the crown of All American, which was in its 21st year (where was I the last 20?). It’s considered one of the top 10 pageants in the nation, and no, I don’t know the other nine.
When all was said and done, Allison was the big winner.
“Love putting Delaware on the map!” she said. “Pageant hangovers are real! I’m still on cloud 64. No sleep or lack of rest with adrenaline pumping. Worth it! The best part is my cheeks hurt from smiling and my abs hurt from laughing with my new pageant family!”
Allison is an awesome personality. She is a facilitator of getting things done, from when she worked the desk at Mid-Atlantic Family Practice to her current job for the Beebe medical group.
Fifty percent of this pageant is scored from a personal interview and personal platform and position on the national platform, which is leukemia and lymphoma awareness.
The personal platform includes smile, sparkle and shine and be kind promoting random acts of kindness (opposed to those planned to make one look good).
Allison has been modeling since she was 16 and started in pageants when she was 17. She is a former Miss Delmarva 2001, America’s Brilliant Miss 2006, Miss Delmarva 2007 and Miss Hope Eastern Shore 2010.
Allison came out of pageant retirement after losing 167 pounds, saying, “I found my happy and self-worth again.”
That’s cool, but 167 pounds lost is total focus and discipline; I know I’d be looking for a mack daddy of grandaddys pageant if I fit in my 60-year-old Chinos (sorry, just satisfying funny requirement).
In Allison’s own words: “Pageants are like a sport: we compete, we win, but even if we don’t win the big title, we gain so much. A pageant sisterhood is unbreakable. You still get your voice out there about your personal platform, and your crown becomes your microphone. There is no hair pulling or craziness like you see on TV, at least not in any of my years in pageantry. Don’t get me wrong, I’m leaving it all on that stage. I’m in the best shape of my life and ready for the job of All American Ms. 2017.”
Check out her Facebook page Allison Rae Funds or email her at queenofcrowns3@gmail.com.
