Inspirational Royalty

 

Some years ago, I turned on a television show documenting families competing in beauty pageants. It was a little unsettling to see the amount of money and time wasted to have these girls go through their routines and compete for what seemed to be a superficial goal. Is it really impressive for young girls to paint their faces and stand there while their dresses are sparkling with glitter? What is the point of that? As a professional entertainer, I do enjoy the performance portions of the shows (which is where I feel the focus should be shifted.)

A couple years ago, this view changed dramatically when I got to see the hearts of some of these girls and how much they really do care for their neighbors. I was contacted by the family of “Princess Addison” to perform at an event where they raise money every year to support a family struggling with expenses because their daughter has an aggressive form of cancer. Addison thought that this is an important cause because between all of the trips to hospitals and so much time spent in isolation a girl needs to party like a princess. Every November, these girls put on their ball gowns to support a princess who spends most of the year in a hospital gown.

As a veteran who deployed overseas (and the primary reason why I enjoy being a clown) is because there are very few countries that allow their children the freedom to be children. I’ve been to countries that enlist their young boys into military service at a very young age. For the young girls, in many cases their path is even worse. Every year, I get the opportunity to reach these girls with some laughs, some hope and encouragement, and we get the opportunity to celebrate how fun it is to be a kid and dream of being royalty!

This event is called Addison's Princess for a Day Fundraiser There are television commercials that call upon us to raise money for children with cancer and it may seem like a daunting task. These girls prove that one person can’t do everything, but everyone can do something. Every year, the community of princesses (and some princes) come together to raise funds to support the massive living expenses for a family that has to deal with treatment and travel. I am truly blessed and humbled to be part of this experience every year.

For more information about this event and how to get involved please click the link above!