Mrs. Land of Lincoln America Ambassador Colleen Nedrow

Platform: Domestic Violence: Stop the Insanity                & Terminal Bone Cancer

Colleen is a 32 year old wife to Bill and mother to William Arthur and Payton Kristen-Marie. Creative and engergetic, Colleen works as a Studio Manager at Sears Portrait Studio, as well as runs her own business, Nedrow Photography Studios. Colleen has two platforms that are very close to her heart. Her first platform is Domestic Violence: Stop the Insanity.  Every year there are over 15,00 reported cases of domestic violence, thousands more go unreported.

Having survived a violent relationship in her early 20's, Colleen knows first hand the embarrassment, the horror and the pain that goes with domestic violence. She has made it her personal goal to help other women feel stronger and know that they are important and that they matter. Volunteering at such organizations as WINGS (Women In Need Growing Stronger) and local women's and children's shelters, Colleen knows that she is helping to rebuild many womens' and childrens' lives. Her second platform is Terminal Bone Cancer. Last summer her 23 year old niece Kristen Marie dicovered she had terminal bone cancer. Her type of cancer is so rare in people under the age of 50 that there is little research and medical help for her. Doctor have given Kristen any where from 6 months to 5 years to live. She has undergone chemo and has had her right leg removed to prolong her life. Colleen has started her own pageant dedicated to Kristen Marie. Proceeds from this pagean twill go directly to Cancer Research in Kristen's honor. The pageant is focused on Platform and Community Involvement (with a little bling-bling thrown in for fun). In June of 2004, Colleen had her waist lenght hair cut off and donated it to Locks for Love in honor of Kristen Marie. Locks for Love creates wigs for children who have lost their hair due to illness. Knowing that she is doing all she can to bring awareness to Cancer research is vitally important to Colleen. She hopes with each queen she crowns, a little more is discovered to help people with cancer. For more information about the pageant please visit: http://queencc1.tripod.com. Colleen has held such titles as Mrs. Aurora International 2002, Ms. Midwest American Elegance 2003, Ms. Aurora International 2004, Ms. Plus All American US 2004 as well as Ms. Congeniality awards  at many pageants.

Domestic Violence Awareness: Stop the Insanity & Terminal Bone Cancer

Colleen's Links:

Mrs. Land of Lincoln Photos

Get to Know Colleen

Ms. All American US National Pageant

Portraits by Law

Back to IL Chapter