68-year-old Fran Maiers of Davison crowned Miss Senior MIchigan, 2008
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At 68, Fran Maiers of Davison, calls it an "unforgettable moment" when she was crowned Miss Senior Michigan 2008 in Rochester.
"For a second, I was just stunned," Maiers said. Then I went crazy! I said oh my gosh, this is really happening."
Foreign to the world of pageants, Fran learned of the opportunity through a newspaper while visiting Troy.
"Of course I am a senior," Maiers says. "I thought, well Miss Senior Michigan, that would be cool!"
It took off from there. After five weeks of rehearsal, Maiers took the stage with four other contestants.
"The one contestant that was really awesome was 82 years old and she did a tap dance number," Maiers said. "She was awesome, she was awesome."
From singing a song written for her late mother who lived with Alzheimers, to giving her personal 35 second philosophy on life.
"I've learned in life that you can't rely on another for happiness, it must come from within," Maiers says. "I know that because the time I was happiest was when I was making a difference in someone else's life."
Frans friend Linda Panchula, stood by her each step of the way.
"I would love to see a lot more seniors get involved and have that kind of fun being with other contestants," Panchula said. "It's not about winning, it's about having a great time."
"Is that cool or not huh? I love it, I just love it," Maiers says as she places her tierra on her head.
But to Fran, the title of Miss Senior Michigan is more than just a sparkling tierra. It's about inspiring and bringing life back into her fellow senior citizens across the state.
"They have experience, knowledge, they have all kinds of things to offer this world," Maiers says. "Often times, they feel invisible. They feel that once they're out of the workforce and retired that's it and that's so wrong. I believe if seniors have things to look forward to they won't look backward so much."
Maiers is scheduled to appear and sing at this years Michigan State Fair. She will also be speaking at Senior Centers across the state throughout the year. inspiring her peers to also get up and get going.
