This project is for the Central Georgia Pageant systems beauty queens. These girls will be asked to attend
at Queen for a Day party at the Georgia Children's Hospital. Other Georgia Beauty Queens will be asked to attend as well.
Queen for a Day exists to raise the self-esteem and self-confidence of girls with cancer. We execute
this mission by hosting parties at cancer facilities and giving the girls manicures and makeovers. The unique characteristic
of
QFAD is that every girl receives her own tiara! These tiaras have been donated by title holders throughout the
nation. Each girl is dressed in a pink fur-trimmed robe and given a bouquet of roses for a special Polaroid picture that she
can take home. We do not discriminate on the basis of age and have crowned girls from 17 months of age to 21 years old.
Most people assume that putting makeup on these girls and proclaiming their beauty encourages self-evaluation
through outer beauty. However, by taking this direct approach to their self-esteem issues, we teach them to overcome physical
insecurities rather than distracting them from their situation. Research has proven that positive attention, as given through
QFAD parties, can improve the physical condition of those with illnesses - including cancer. Even family members
who attend benefit from the party. Mothers see their daughters as little girls, not children sick with cancer. We also include
siblings of the cancer patients in the makeovers and manicures. Many times, siblings can be overlooked while the family tends
to the needs of the cancer.
Many girls lose friends because of their situation. Most people whose friends become sick do not know how
to handle the situation. Therefore, not only do girls who are ill suffer from low self-esteem because of their looks, but
they also are affected from losing their social life. QFAD strives to provide a time where they can forget about
treatment, needles, and loneliness.
While we cannot guarantee a cure for depression, we are there to shower them in positive attention and to
create happy memories to sustain them through these hard times. One purpose of giving them the tiara is to provide something
tangible with 
which to remember the day. Whenever they have hard times, they can simply put on the tiara and escape from their troubles
into a world where they rule - a world where they each are "Queen for a Day."
Jenna Edwards, founder
