Grace Gives to Troops, Kids, Animals and a Sick Pal

Five-year-old Savannah Grace Benton isn't just playing dress-up for fun. She's getting her hair and makeup done by a stylist, putting on a themed dress and walking onto stages for a crown and to make the world a better place.

Grace has been in seven pageants, but not just any pageants—charity pageants. From Miss Puppy Love, for which she raised 200 pet items and dog food in bags bigger than herself, to the Crowns for a Cure, in which she raised $100 for cancer patients in honor of her aunt, Grace has been dressing up, helping her community and having fun in pageants most of her life.

Grace entered her first pageant, Crowns for a Cure, when she was 18 months old. "She seemed to like it a lot, so we decided to stick with it," said Grace's mother, Lisa Benton. "She's kind, she's caring, she's really bubbly and outgoing. She has fun, and she has learned how to help others."

Grace is currently doing a pageant to raise money for 3-year-old Addison Humphries, who was diagnosed with leukemia this year. "She has spunk and is a true fighter," Lisa said. "Her smile will melt your heart."

Addison is a friend of the family. She went to the doctor Jan. 2 for what was thought be a common cold. She was taken to and diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

"She's very sick, and she has to take yucky medicine," Grace said of her friend.

Every dime raised from the March 25 Miss Diamond Princess pageant will go toward Addison's medical bills, Lisa said. Grace's goal is $1,000, and she has until the pageant to raise the funds.

"She enjoys it a lot," Lisa said. "Me and my husband have always said that the second that Grace decides that 'I am done,' we'll find another way for her to do charity work. She likes to do the pageants, and she likes to raise the money for stuff. It's a win-win right now."

During the Yankee Doodle pageant, Grace raised $150 for care packages for troops. In Miss Patriot, she raised 500 items for care packages for troops.

In the Autism Speaks pageant, she raised $300.

"She did carwashes all summer for that one," Lisa said.

During the 'Twas the Night Before Christmas: A Child's Candy Christmas pageant, she helped bring in 100 toys for children. The pageant collected presents for birthdays and Christmas for the children affected by the April 2011 tornadoes in Georgia and Alabama.

In Queens for Crowns, Grace collected school supplies for kids.

Lisa said she enters Grace only in pageants in which everybody walks away with something, a participation trophy or certificate. "It doesn't bother her yet. She doesn't understand this little tiara is just because you came and the big one is because you won. We haven't instilled that in Grace."

"I like to get crowns," Grace said. "I got two little ones and two big ones and a big trophy." In 2011 in the Autism Speaks pageant, Grace was named Little Miss Autism Speaks and Little Miss Autism Speaks Sweetheart for raising the most money. She has numerous titles for prettiest hair, and in Miss Patriot she was named first alternate.

"We try to do at least one a year," Lisa said. "That way you can focus on being able to raise the most money for whatever cause we pick. We ask her if it's one she wants to do, and if she says yes, then that's what we'll go for."

Raising the money is one of the hardest parts of doing the pageants, Lisa said. "She has her Facebook page, she puts up fliers, and me and her dad taker her to different businesses to see if they want to sponsor her." Grace also has a PayPal account for donations (grace_giving@yahoo.com).

Getting ready is also a lot of work. The Thursday before the March pageant, Grace will get a spray tan and her nails done. Grace and her parents will arrive at the pageant two hours before it starts to get with Miss Shelbi for hair and makeup. Then it's time to get dressed.

The outfits are one of Grace's favorite parts of doing a pageant. "The theme for this one is a princess pageant," Lisa said. "Some of them are more specific. Like the was animal wear."

Grace said she liked her Christmas Rudolph outfit. "I was in pajamas with reindeer ears."

But looks aren't Grace's only preparation.

"We have to practice before the actual pageant so she remembers what faces to make and which not to make," Lisa said with a laugh.

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