Miss America Kirsten Haglund of Farmington Hills returned to the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts where she was crowned Miss Michigan last June. She arrived on a horse-drawn carriage with her father, Valdor Haglund."I usually say no, but I don't get to say no this time," said Dori Matkowski, who has known Haglund since she was a little girl and asked to produce her homecoming show.
"You're Miss America. You can do it again."
That royal treatment continued into the evening when Haglund arrived at the Frauenthal Theater via horse-drawn carriage for the 7 p.m. show. A crowd of about 800 turned out to watch Haglund along with performances by 10 of the top Miss America Live! finalists, several 2007 Miss Michigan contestants and the new Miss Michigan, Gina Valo.
Miss America Kirsten Haglund of Farmington Hills, left, crowns Gina Valo of Ann Arbor as the new Miss Michigan to finish out Haglund's term. Haglund of Farmington Hills returned to the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts where she had been crowned Miss Michigan June 16, 2007. She celebrated Friday night with other Miss America Live! finalists with a talent revue. Haglund, 19, of Farmington Hills, was greeted with a standing ovation as she took her Miss America walk on the Frauenthal Theater stage. All of her family attended, including her grandmother, Iora, Miss Michigan 1944.
"Oh my gosh, this is crazy," she said. "Thank you. This night is not about me. It's all about this organization. Thank you all for coming and driving in the icky Michigan weather."
Then, Haglund's father, Valdor, joined her for the religious ballad, "Here and Now."
In another poignant moment, Valo's sister, Christina, played piano and sang to her sister prior to Valo's official crowning. The Ann Arbor resident finished first runner-up at the pageant in June and agreed to serve the remainder of Haglund's reign.
Chronicle/Merissa FergusonMiss America Kirsten Haglund of Farmington Hills returned to the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts where she had been crowned Miss Michigan June 16, 2007 on a horse-drawn carriage with her father, Valdor
John Leon Covil, of Jacksonville, Fla., made his first trip to Michigan to cheer on the new Miss America and said it was an honor to be invited. He has been a local and state judge for the Miss American organization in Florida for more than a decade and has picked seven of the last 10 Miss Americas prior to the pageant, he said.
TKPN
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