Jonathan Babicka of The Little Lighthouse Foundation Presents Story Hour #VolunteersWithAVoice—Children’s Book Reading and Chat with Heather Lee O’Keefe.
Category Archives: Blog
City Proclamation of “Heather Lee O’Keefe Day”
What an absolute honor to receive this Proclamation from the Office of the Mayor & the City of Fort Lauderdale at last night’s meeting, proclaiming January 7, 2020 as “Heather Lee O’Keefe Day!”
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the City of Fort Lauderdale, Commissioner Ben Sorensen, and Mayor Dean Trantalis for recognizing my dedication and commitment to our community. This Proclamation, along with your support, truly means the world to me. I hope to make you all proud as I represent our great city of Fort Lauderdale at the Miss Florida USA competition here in Broward County next weekend. I hope to bring home the crown to represent the Sunshine State nationally at Miss USA and spread my love for serving others and giving back!
You can watch the full video here:
The Proclamation reads:
Hollywood Beach Clean-Up
Today, a few of my fellow Miss Florida USA contestants and I hosted a beach cleanup at Hollywood Beach. I came equipped with my pink gloves (yes, I had pink gloves 😄) and a few trash bags, but thankfully we only needed about one trash bag each! I was truly impressed and inspired to see that this beach didn’t have too much trash—this means that people are taking pride in where we live by keeping it clean!
Miss Universe 2019 in Atlanta
What an incredible night! Congratulations to Zozibini Tunzi from South Africa, who was crowned Miss Universe at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, USA on December 8, 2019!
I am incredibly grateful that I had the opportunity to meet some of my greatest role models at the Miss Universe pageant on Sunday—two of my favorite Miss USAs, Sarah Rose Summers and Nia Sanchez, and Miss Universe 2017 (who is also engaged to Tim Tebow), Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters! They were all so genuine as they wished me the best of luck as I compete for the title of Miss Florida USA next month, which was so inspiring and motivating!
I also caught our last Miss USA to win Miss Universe (and now international supermodel) Olivia Culpo for a quick hug and chat between commercial breaks, and then later I was right next to her while she was live on camera! We were sitting right behind Puerto Rico’s and Colombia’s cheering sections, so I was also on camera whenever they showed Miss Colombia’s grandmother who flew all the way to Atlanta to cheer on her granddaughter as she competes for Miss Universe! (If you go back to re-watch the pageant, I am the blonde girl two rows behind Miss Colombia’s grandmother).
Most importantly, this all would not have been possible if it weren’t for my new friends at CHI Haircare (official sponsors of the Miss Universe Organization). Thank you Joseph Saad and Patrick Kalle for giving me a quick hair touch up in the elevator on the way to the pageant and for getting me a ticket to this sold-out show! Also, thank you for my new CHI hair styling tools! 😉 And last but certainly not least, shout-out to my dear friend, Kisa Motiwala, for being my “partner in crime” for the weekend and for letting me borrow this gorgeous Sherri Hill dress of yours!
I will forever cherish the memories made this weekend!!! ❤️
Make sure to check out my “Miss Universe” story highlight on Instagram (by clicking here) for behind-the-scenes videos from my experience at Miss Universe!
Celebrity Soccer Match for Best Buddies
Miss Universe and Miss USA contestants, Sports Illustrated swimsuit models, TV stars, and professional athletes… and then there’s just a small town country girl who never in a million years imagined she’d be here—that girl is me.
I am so thankful to be a part of this incredible event with these awesome people, all for a great cause—The Celebrity Soccer Match in support of the Best Buddies organization. This event “promotes a culture of sports inclusion, social responsibility, and employment integration of those with intellectual and developmental disabilities as a way to make a positive impact in the community.” I want to specifically thank the Founder of the Celebrity Soccer Match, North Bay Village Commissioner, and my friend, Julianna Strout, for personally inviting me to take part in your event. It was truly an honor!
Miami Beach, FL – NOVEMBER 23: Miss Fort Lauderdale USA Heather Lee O’Keefe attends the Celebrity Soccer Match Benefiting Best Buddies Charity at the North Beach Sand-Bowl. Heather Lee O’Keefe is a 22-year-old honors law student, television host, Miss Florida USA candidate, and passionate philanthropist on November 23, 2019 in Miami Beach, Florida. People: Heather Lee O’Keefe
The 2nd annual Celebrity Soccer Match was held on November 23rd at the North Beach Bandshell Sand-bowl in Miami Beach, Florida.
“Celebrities, soccer stars, models and Buddies will gather for the ultimate Celebrity Beach Soccer Match in a unique fun-filled day of curated events that will feature; 7-on-7 friendly matches, meet-and-greet, children’s clinics, soccer training fitness class, show-cases, brand activations and more. Industry professionals, sport enthusiasts, local government, influencers as well as residents alike can look forward to a family-friendly event with individuals from different cultures and all over the world.”
The Celebrity Soccer Match was presented by Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, which is also the location where we filmed the promotional video and photos for the event. In the photos above and below, we are pictured in front of the famous new Guitar Hotel.
I had the opportunity to meet the current Miss Universe, Catriona Gray, at this event along with many other celebrities including Juan Pablo Galavis (former star of The Bachelor on ABC and professional soccer player), Mara Martin (Sports Illustrated swimsuit model), Kaleigh Garris (Miss Teen USA 2019), Adriana Paniagua (Miss Nicaragua 2018), Gabriela Clesca (Miss Universe Haiti 2019), Génesis Dávila (Miss Florida USA 2017-2018), Andrea Piecuch (Miss U.S. Virgin Islands 2019), Priscila Sales (Miss California Brasil USA 2018), Nicolette Jennings (Miss Florida USA 2019), Katia Gerry (Miss Florida Teen USA 2019), and more!
Jerry Libbin, President & CEO of Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce, pulled me aside for a live interview before the soccer match. We chatted about the responsibilities that come with being Miss Fort Lauderdale USA, my passions, the Best Buddies organization, and the road to Miss Florida USA!
Watch my interview below!
I had so much fun at the 2nd Annual Celebrity Soccer Match. I can’t wait until next year!
Seventh Annual Arc Broward Pageant
The Miss Arc Broward pageant is a competition for children and teens with special needs. These young women get the chance to perform onstage for hundreds of audience members, fighting any stereotypes that people might have about disabilities.
Arc Broward’s mission is to transform the community by providing opportunities for people with disabilities and other life challenges to realize their full potential. Since 1956, Arc Broward has worked hand-in-hand with our community, changing how people with developmental disabilities and life challenges are embraced and included. This critical work ensures that people with disabilities, not only live, learn, work, and play in their communities, but more importantly, thrive.
I had the pleasure of being a “judge” for this year’s Miss Arc Broward Pageant. However, it was a tough job because all of the lovely ladies were truly incredible and inspiring. Congratulations to Layla and Nola for being crowned the new Miss Arc Broward and Little Miss Arc Broward 2019!
Heather Lee O'Keefe 