"There are countless reasons why I am proud to be a representative of the Miss Idaho Organization; from the caliber of girls I stand alongside, to the positive changes in our communities that we each work tirelessly to trigger. With that being said, few experiences in this program have touched my heart the way that the Children’s Miracle Network has.

Despite the hours I spent in germy dance studios and tumbling gyms growing up, I was very fortunate to always have good health, and I never had to be one of the 62 children that are admitted to a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital every minute. My health has never benefited from CMN specifically, but my life surely has.

My best friend Kim, whom I met in the Broadcast Journalism program our freshman year at BYU, has a one in 10 million neurological disorder that has paralyzed her from the neck down on two separate occasions. Each of these attacks landed her in Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake to rehabilitate and benefit from CMN firsthand. It was through her experiences, and her gratitude, that I developed my own love and appreciation for CMN.

In turn, it helped me establish a deep passion for the partnership the Miss America Organization has with the Children’s Miracle Network. I have been lucky enough to meet a few of the miracle beneficiaries of our fundraising efforts during my years in this organization, and each experience is a bright spot in a long list of incredible opportunities, with each of their individual lights helping to make the reason I do this even more clear.

I was able to attend two separate CMN events in just the past week and see thousands of dollars raised for this worthy cause. First was the Dance Marathon at Boise State University, where the students raised $66,217.80 by dancing for 17 hours straight, and second was the best day of the year, National Pancake Day at IHOP! If you would like to donate to CMN, you can find my personal donation page here."

- Miss Boise 2015, Dani Beckstrom