THE MISS AMERICA'S OUTSTANDING TEEN PROGRAM
ANNOUNCES CHILDREN'S MIRACLE NETWORK
AS THEIR NATIONAL PLATFORM

Orlando, FL - Miss America's Outstanding Teen (MAOT) organization announced today that Children's Miracle Network has been selected as their official national platform. MAOT, the sister program to the Miss America Organization, have chosen Children's Miracle Network (CMN) as their platform to further reinforce the efforts that have been so successful on the national level for the Miss America Organization who adopted this program in 2007.

The mission of the Miss America's Outstanding Teen organization is to promote scholastic achievement, creative accomplishment, healthy living and community involvement for America's teens. The new partnership will provide opportunities for MAOT to not only raise funds and awareness for the 17 million children treated each year at the 170 Children's Miracle Network hospitals, but it will also help benefit the MAOT Scholarship Program.

Kim Parrish, President of Miss America's Outstanding Teen stated, "We are excited to have partnered with such a wonderful organization. Our contestants represent the best and the brightest in America and I couldn't think of a partner who would better compliment our efforts than Children's Miracle Network. I know our contestants will support and embrace these children to help make even more miracles happen."

Each year the new Miss America's Outstanding Teen, in addition to bringing awareness to her personal platform, will be the Teen Ambassador for Children's Miracle Network as she raises funds and awareness for both CMN and MAOT. This partnership also extends to teens competing at the local, state and national levels of the pageant, asking each contestant who participates to be responsible for raising funds on behalf of Children's Miracle Network and Miss America's Outstanding Teen.

"We are thrilled to have formed this national partnership to continue to help the many children that are supported in every city in America by Children's Miracle Network hospitals. Together, we'll work towards raising funds for our scholarship program to enable young and talented women across the country gain new opportunities," said Art McMaster, president & CEO Miss America Organization. "We look forward to a long and rewarding relationship with Children's Miracle Network."

"We are honored to be selected as the official national platform of the Miss America Organization," said Jim Hall, CEO and president of Children's Miracle Network. "The Miss America Organization and Children's Miracle Network have had an amazing 18-year history and we're looking forward to building on that and increasing funds for both organizations."

In 2007, CMN was selected as the national platform partner of the Miss America Organization. As part of the partnership, the current Miss America also acts as the National Goodwill Ambassador for CMN during her year of service. The current Miss America is Kirsten Haglund from Farmington Hills, MI.

About Miss America's Outstanding Teen
Miss America's Outstanding Teen is a scholarship-based program offering accomplished teens the opportunity to be awarded funds for college. The program promotes scholastic achievement, creative accomplishment, healthy living and community involvement for America's teens. For more information, please visit www.maoteen.org

About Children's Miracle Network
Children's Miracle Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for children's hospitals across North America. Each year the 170 Children's Miracle Network hospitals provide the finest medical care, life-saving research and preventative education to help millions of kids overcome diseases and injuries of every kind. To learn more visit www.childrensmiraclenetwork.org.