Catching up with former Miss America

It’s not every day you get to have lunch with Miss America.

But I did this week, with my all-time favorite Miss America Deidre Downs.

A lot in her life has changed, but one thing remains constant, and that is her commitment to curing childhood cancer.

This is my friend and neighbor Margaret Ann Clark. She was just 6 old when I did a story about a block party her parents had to raise awareness about childhood cancer.

That day a lot of folks came by to play and eat hot dogs, and more importantly to sign up for a new specialty car tag called “Curing Childhood Cancer.”

I met Dan Sims that day. Dan had just lost his daughter to cancer and he was on a mission to get a thousand people signed up for the Curing Childhood Cancer tag. A young college girl named Deidre Downs had come up with the tag idea. None of us had heard of her.

That changed quickly. Deidre became Miss Alabama, and then Miss America. Her platform was her passion for curing childhood cancer.

I met with Dan Sims and Deidre this week. Recently, the Curing Childhood Cancer tag went by the million dollar mark for cancer research, money that stays here in Alabama.

“We’re so excited that we’ve reached the million dollar mark in the curing childhood cancer tags,” Deidre said. “The only thing that we can say is please continue that, if you don’t have a tag please be part of this effort because it is raising money that is staying here in Alabama at UAB and Children’s Hospital helping to find a cure for childhood cancer.“

“We’re so proud of the doctors and staff and everyone who helps our children here and we want to support ‘em, and this tag goes a long way to raise the money it’s gonna take to find a cure,“ Sims said.

A lot has changed since that block party back in 2004.  Margaret Ann Clark is a happy and healthy 5th-grader. Deidre Downs has been busy too.

“Well, since I was Miss America and came back to Alabama, I started med school at UAB.” Downs said. “I’m now in my 4th year, so will graduate next May and go on to pursue a residency in ob/gyn, that’s the specialty I’m going in to.“

She went and got married too.

“I’m also happy to say that my husband and I are expecting a new baby in January, so we’re very excited about that,” Deidre said. “So a lot of changes in my life since Miss America, but it’s very exciting.“

Thanks to the thousands of you who have paid the extra $50 to display the Curing Childhood Cancer tag. Dan Sims hopes many more of you will get on board.

“Start thinkin’ about the Curing Childhood Cancer tag and the children it helps and I guarantee you’ll want one, and if you know a child that has been diagnosed with cancer and you know their family, do it to support them,” Sims said.