Kira Demerse, Jenifer Frazier and Kassie Demerse pose at the Darling Dolls of America KS/MO state pageant in Sept.

Letters we love!
Thank you -- Beth and Dusti B, 18:10:46 09/03/05 Sat
I want to send a big thank you to Darling Dolls of America for giving Dusti a great life lesson.

I am one who normally donates regularly to many organizations in my community. I always leave Dusti home she is so young and it is just easier on me plus she doesn't understand.... Being how Dusti is trying to be crowned queens of queens at DDA. I took her to Ford park whose housing 1500 evacuees in Beaumont today to donate clothing diapers, air mattress and other things. Once we got there our hearts were broken. There are so many families with nothing. Being how we are from such a small town she has never been around poverty. She did not understand a lot but she was so proud to be able to give. We found a family in the parking lot sitting on there cars They fled New Orleans Sunday night it took them 17hrs to get settled at the shelter. This family had lost everything. We went on a shopping spree. When we returned they were so thankful the mother cried. They said that the kindness that our family and Texas showed them they deiced to make Texas there new home. We took all the money we had in our pockets around 200.00 and deiced to give it away. I know that the red cross is taking donations but we were going to give it to the people. So I took it and divided it into 8 $25.00 bundles. I want to share the stories. One young man was the first in his family of 9 to attend collage of course his school was destroyed he was looking to go to the local school he was so appreciative he thank us many times and told us how he got his younger sisters in school around here. I passed an elderly lady who was sitting out in a wheelchair she looked so frail when I gave her the money her face lite up. Her I assume grand daughter looked to be around 8 months pregnant just picked Dusti up and embraced and kissed her she just held Dusti. I saw one lady with swollen eyes she had two small children I handed her the money she could not speak English she had to have her daughter who looked about 10 translate what was happening. As we walked away she was tucking the money in her purse so tight. The last 25 we had I spotted an elderly lady who was sitting on the side of the building we approached her and told her that we wanted to give her some money that she could use she said No ma'am you need to take that inside to the Red Cross. I said no I want it to go to someone who needs it she again told me she did need it but I can't take this everyone inside needs it. I insisted that she take it she clutched it in her hand when she look at me she just cried. She hugged me and simply said God Bless.

I know that the pageant community has donated a lot and always does so much for people. I wish that you all could see the look on the evacuees faces. They thank you from the bottoms of there hearts. I again want to thank DDA for the queens of queens programs because I would never had brought Dusti and she was so proud. Her heart grew today. I cried the whole way home.
Beth & Dusti B