On Saturday, November 3, 2012 a gathering of elders, volunteers, friends, and family from the Lao community came out to support and help raise funds for Nitaya Panemalaythong, Miss Minnesota USA for 2012.

Held in a small banquet hall in Shakopee, MN, Nitaya had a great showing of supporters and a long list of sponsors. Along with the suggested $20 entry donation, guests were invited to enjoy a round of appetizers, drinks, and lumvong. Guests were also able to take pictures with Miss Minnesota USA at a picture booth set up inside the banquet hall.

Announcer Pathoumma Phrommany stands next to Nitaya Panemalaythong.

Nitaya explained that she had entered the pageant to earn money to go to school. She planned to study finance, but had to put her studies on hold to make public appearances that led to her participation in Las Vegas this past year in June 2012.

As part of her ongoing support and representation of the Lao community here in the United States she was asked to go to Laos in December they the US Embassy in Laos. She mentioned that she would be part of a group of delegates headed for Laos later this year.

It was not clear exactly what she would be doing in Laos, but we hope that she can represent the US as well as the Lao community with Midwestern pride. After all, she only wore the Miss Minnesota crown.

We shall have to wait until December to see how the trip to the US Embassy in Laos will turn out. Until then, we congratulate Nitaya Panemalaythong once again on her work in showing the nation that Minnesota has a Lao face and we wish her all the best in her endeavors in the years to come.

~Danny