Maple Grove Ambassador Scholarship Program

OH THE PLACES WE'VE BEEN

Saturday, February 4th, 2012
Maple Grove Polar Plunge raises more than $165,000 [MORE]

Friday, July 22nd, 2011
Former Maple Grove Ambassador Stephani Reding is crowned a Minneapolis Aquatennial Princess [MORE]

Friday, July 10th, 2009
10 Years of the Maple Grove Ambassador Scholarship Program! [MORE]

Friday, July 10th, 2009
Maple Grove Celebrates 10 Good Deeds for 10 Great Years! [MORE]

Sunday, January 11th, 2009
Second Annual Maple Grove Locks of Love Drive [MORE]

Monday, November 3rd, 2008
President's Volunteer Service Award Certified Organization [MORE]

Saturday, September 6th, 2008
Kendra's Wish [MORE]

Friday, July 25th, 2008
Former Maple Grove Ambassador Tara Litwinchuk Crowned 2009 Queen of the Lakes [MORE]

Saturday, March 8th, 2008
Freezin' For a Reason! Polar Bear Plunge [MORE]

Sunday, January 20th, 2008
First Annual Maple Grove Locks of Love Drive [MORE]

Thursday, September 6th, 2007
2007 Maple Grove Ambassador Alex West featured in the Pioneer Press [MORE]

Thursday, August 23rd, 2007
2007 Maple Grove Ambassadors and Marjorie Johnson on KARE11! [MORE]

Friday, May 11th, 2007
2006 Ambassadors featured in 'Best of' issue of Maple Grove Magazine [MORE]

Saturday, February 24th, 2007
Polar Plunge raises $70,000 for Minnesota Special Olympics - Thisweek Newspaper [MORE]

Saturday, February 10th, 2007
First Annual Kids Day Minnesota Event [MORE]

Saturday, February 3rd, 2007
Former Maple Grove Ambassador Nicole Lepinski (2005) crowned in Winter Carnival at Michigan Tech [MORE]

Thursday, January 11th, 2007
Osseo Elementary welcomes the Maple Grove Ambassadors [MORE]

Saturday, September 9th, 2006
Golf tradition raises funds for charity [MORE]

Wednesday, August 16th, 2006
An Evening of Fashion and Fun [MORE]

Thursday, July 20th, 2006
Maple Grove Ambassador Float Wins Prestigious Award [MORE]

Sunday, March 12th, 2006
Former Maple Grove Ambassador Becky Ringen (2001) wins the title of Miss Minnesota International. [MORE]

Tuesday, April 5th, 2005
Former Maple Grove Ambassador Kellie LaVoie (2002) reports for KDLH Duluth News [MORE]

Kendra's Wish

Saturday, September 6th, 2008

Maple Grove Ambassadors Have Heart

Saturday, September 6 was a very special day in Osseo; the weather bright and beautiful and for one young girl in particular, her memories of the 2008 Osseo Lion's Roar celebration will be just as fond as the vivid sun that shone that day.

The Maple Grove Ambassador Scholarship Program granted the wish of one courageous 8-year-old girl, Kendra Miland. Miland dared to dream and wished to be a "princess for a day" and to experience a day-in-the-life of a Maple Grove Ambassador.

Miland, of Prior Lake, was born with AVSD, leaving extra "holes" between the chambers of her heart. One month after her first surgery the pericardium sack that surrounds the heart started to harden and almost fatally choked the life out of her heart. As a result, a second emergency heart surgery was performed and the pericardium sack around the heart was removed. Today, Kendra is an active and loving 8-year old, with a brighter future thanks to research and medical practices that have improved allowing Miland to grow up healthy.

The Maple Grove Ambassadors Mari Eckes, Ashley Vandenberghe and Brooke Beltrand celebrated Miland's healthy heart while enjoying a full day in Osseo. During the Visiting Royalty Brunch held at the Osseo Maple Grove American Legion, the Maple Grove Ambassadors presented Miland with her very own crown among other "princess-like" gifts making bringing the experience to life. The Minneapolis Aquatennial Queen of the Lakes Tara Litwinchuk, former 2007 Maple Grove Ambassador, along with Commodore Mary Niemeyer, gave a special presentation honoring Miland with the Minneapolis Aquatennial Honorary Commodore's Award.

Making the day official, Miland became the first guest to ride on Maple Grove's award-winning parade float during Osseo Lion's Roar parade. Miland's name was show cased on her very own float sign donated by J. Cousineau's. Granting Miland's wish is a simple reminder of the small things in life that create memories to last a lifetime.

Miland's father Bob commented, "What the Maple Grove Ambassadors and the Aquatennial Royalty did for her [Kendra] this past weekend was far beyond our expectations, leaving us speechless and Kendra a real princess."

Caption: Kendra, Mari, Ashley and Brooke await the start of the Osseo Lion's Roar parade. Kendra proudly wears the Minneapolis Aquatennial's Honorary Commodore's pin presented at the Visiting Royalty Brunch held at the Osseo Maple Grove American Legion.

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