Katelynne Cox might be tired in class Monday morning, having gone straight from the airport to school, but a little sleep deprivation is a small price to pay for a trip to the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.
Cox, a 15-year-old from Camas, will be walking the red carpet at the Grammys Sunday in a full-length, low-back red dress from Nordstrom. She’ll also be modeling at an after-party, though she won’t be at the awards ceremony itself.
Cox received the invitation from Supermodels Unlimited magazine, for which she has modeled. She appeared in the publication’s December/January issue and will grace the February/March cover.
Attending the pre- and post-Grammys festivities is exciting for someone trying to establish a career in the music industry, Cox said. The sophomore at La Salle Catholic College Preparatory in Milwaukie, Ore., currently is working on her second album.
Taylor Swift and Beyoncé are nominated for eight and 10 Grammy Awards, respectively, and Cox would love to see them this weekend. No matter which stars she spots, though, the trip marks a milestone for Cox.
“I think it’s the start of a great adventure of achieving my goals,” she said. “I’ve dreamed of going to the Grammys forever. It’s huge. Everyone knows what they are.”
Pageant loyalist almost misses Miss America
If you watch the Miss America pageant on the TLC network Saturday, look for Lois Elaine Smith-Zoll in the audience. The 72-year-old part-time Vancouver resident sits toward the front.
This is the 44th year Smith-Zoll has attended. She wasn’t sure if she was going to make it this year.
“This is a special trip,” Smith-Zoll said. She overcame many obstacles to make it to Las Vegas for the 2010 pageant.
In October, she underwent surgery to repair a total right hip replacement from 14 years ago.
A couple of weeks ago, her doctor authorized her to travel but said she couldn’t go by plane. So she, her husband, Ed, and a caregiver drove the 1,200 miles to Las Vegas. On doctor’s orders, they had to stop every two hours so Smith-Zoll could break for a walk. They braved a snowstorm near Mount Shasta.
“It’s always wonderful to see your pageant family,” said Smith-Zoll, who is in charge of scholarship development for the Miss Washington contest. “It’s been part of my life for years.”
She will return to her Mesa, Ariz., home Sunday.
Vancouver woman runs for Haitian quake victims
Trish Short plans to run 30 miles on a treadmill at the Firstenburg Community Center on Saturday to raise money for Three Angels Children’s Relief, which operates an orphanage, school and medical clinic in Haiti.
“I hope to finish between six and 7½ hours. I’m pretty slow. Plus, I haven’t really trained for this event,” said Short, a 34-year-old Vancouver resident. “Every donation made because of this event will mean success to me.”
Short said all of the money she raises will go to Three Angels. Her friend Shannon Hoffmann runs the organization, which has U.S. headquarters in Palm Coast, Fla.
People can donate directly to Three Angels (http://www.threeangelshaiti.org/) or stop by the Firstenberg Center, where Short will begin running at 8:05 a.m. Saturday.
Short and her family sponsor a 5-year-old girl who attends Three Angel’s school in Haiti.
“We as a family would look forward to receiving pictures and drawings from the girl we sponsor. We would also have fun sending her small gifts,” Short said. They don’t know if the girl and her family survived Haiti’s devastating quake. “We are hoping for the best.”
Bits ’n’ Pieces appears Mondays and Fridays. If you have a story you’d like to share, call Features Editor Elisa Williams, 360-735-4561, or e-mail elisa.williams@columbian.com.
