She pulled it off: Daviana Campbell, this year’s 11-year-old Little Miss Flagler, along with Kiana Merceron and other friends’ help, spent the last several weeks organizing a Halloween Monster Bash dance at the roller rink near the Youth Center. By the time it was over Friday night, she’d raised close to $900 and filled four shopping carts full of canned goods.
It wasn’t a dance for the sake of a dance, but a fund-raiser for the Grace Tabernacle food pantry nearby.
Click On:
- Leveraging Little Miss Flagler Into a Halloween Campaign to Feed the Hungry, and More
- Daviana Campbell’s Little Miss Flagler Page
- Kiana Merceron’s Page
- Amanda Dack: Miss Flagler County Update
The dance was open to just 5th and 6th graders. They had to register ahead of time by email or phone. They had to pay $5 or bring five cans of food. Daviana, who is home-schooled, made the rounds of businesses and civic groups to win over sponsors (Marineland, for example, gave away four sets of tickets to its dolphin attraction), arranged with the school board and other volunteers to ensure that the dance grounds were secure and well chaperoned (she had at least 25 school personnel volunteers), and let the rest happen as it may.
By 6 p.m. Friday evening, 275 students had registered, and another 50 or so turned up without registration. The crowd grew so large that after the first 300 or so students a few had to be turned away out of concern that the set up couldn’t handle that many participants. In the rink, Mia Bella Dance Academy’s competition team started things off with a couple of zombie-like dances, then it was off to the chow line, the contests and the dancing for the next three hours.
“This is really good because we’re having fun and doing good at the same time,” Daviana said in her costume–a costume she put as much thought into as she does and did everything else: Robin Hood.
The food-raising isn’t over for her. Today she’ll be trick or treating with volunteers, not for candy but for more canned goods. On Tuesday, she’ll be rolling the carts over to the pantry, where Pastor Charles Silano will accept the donations.
Here’s a photo gallery of the event.
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Jim Guines says
Andy had better be careful, the next thing you know they will ban dressing in drag on school property!!!
Mike says
Thank you for a wonderful article about some great kids in our community. Usually the kids are only in the news when they do something wrong.
Daviana Campbell says
I think the kids really had a lot of fun and a lot of kids were really excited when they saw the four grocery carts filled to the top with food. They knew that a lot of people were going to be helped and I had many of them tell me they were really happy to be part of helping. One kid told me that she wanted to do something everyday to help people, so we are going to start on another event. I am very excited.
The party would not have been such a success without the help of many volunteers who, at the last minute, stepped in to help, because my mom didn’t want to turn anyone away, but we had so many people that came to the dance that did not register that unfortunately, there were some we had to say no to. If it weren’t for Wayne, Mr. DJ, the party wouldn’t have been a party. And of course, we had so many community members helping that I will be writing thank you cards for a week, and I thought it was over.
I would like to thank the Flagler County Youth Center and school district who helped make my idea possible along with Palm Coast Business Network, WNZF, Marineland, Mia Bella Academy of Dance, Palm Coast Signs,
Koz Medic Marine Repair, Ace Hardware-Bunnell, Palm Coast Ford, Golden Lion, ZWave, Pinch a Penny, Publix, Walmart, Winn Dixie, Tropical Kayak, Palm Coast Marina, Coquina Lanes, Hair Cuttery, Oasis Day Spa, Key Coaching Associates and the Toastmasters Club, my sisters and my friends and most of all my mom, who kept me going and gave up housework to drive me all over town and was easy on me about my chores,day after day for six weeks, whew!
And of course, Pierre from Flagler Live, for making sure our community knew that the event was coming and helping me share the story about how young people can come together, have fun, and together with the help of our Community Leaders, show us that we can do great things .
Thank you all for your generosity.
Daviana Campbell
[email protected]
Elizabeth McLaughlin says
Congratulations Daviana & Kiana for doing such a great job! We are so lucky to have such kind-hearted, hard working young ladies representing Flagler County. Special thanks to their moms & dads for helping these beautiful girls learn the importance of helping others & being active in their community. I am so proud of you both! Bravo!!
Elizabeth McLaughlin
Director
Miss Flagler County Pageants
emile says
Daviana is the type of youngster that Flagler County can be very proud of. What a wonderful thing she accomplished at such a young age. I will be watching this young lady as she grows and matures. There’s no telling what she can accomplish next!
Congratulations, Daviana, on a job well done.