San Diego Padres Mascot "Friar", Mrs. Eugene and THE best mascot The University of Oregon 's Donald Duck at the Eugene Emerald's baseball game August 2007

Singing our Nations Anthem -

The National Anthem Project just happens to be a major partner with the Mrs. America Pageant, the National Anthem and the Mrs. America Program also just happen to be two organizations that are near and dear to my heart. I was singing the National Anthem at numerous venues before I became Mrs. Eugene, but now my title has given me more confidence and more opportunity to sing the song, the Anthem that is known so well around the world. The Anthem that lets the world know where I am from and who we are and what we stand for. This was never more apparent to me than last year as I stood in Portland's Pioneer Courthouse Square during the National Anthem Project's visit to our fair state as a group of "anarchists", protesters burned our Nation's symbol, the "Stars and Stripes", while citizens sang the National Anthem. The sight truly pissed me off, so much so that it brought tears to my eyes. To think that I have spent 20 years in the United States Army doing what I think is right to defend our Nations freedom, the sight truly irritated me. But then I reminded myself that if it were not for the freedom that we enjoy in this country, those 18 and 19 year old people burning the flag of the United States on the ground would not just be standing there and laughing, but they would probably be carted off to jail (in any other country). So as the tears streamed down my face and as I stood before an audience of complete unknowns I sang the Star Spangled Banner as I had never sung it before. Each time I am able to sing it again, it has more and more meaning to me, as it did in the photos here on August 12th during a Eugene Emeralds baseball game. I enjoy singing as many of my friends know, but I do't know any song, I don't enjoy singing any song more than I do the United States National Anthem.




Singing the Anthem June 2006 at Pioneer Courthouse Square Portland, Oregon