Behind the Headlines

By Paula Wethington / paula@monroenews.com

For more than 20 years, Kaye Lani Rafko Wilson of Monroe has been known as “the last Miss Michigan to win the Miss America title.” (See “I just wanted to be me” at monroenews.com)

While Mrs. Wilson wasn’t in Las Vegas Saturday night to see Miss Michigan Kirsten Haglund receive her crown as Miss America 2008, she did get to congratulate the new national queen by phone that night. Here is how that came about:

Mrs. Wilson is still involved with pageant system and knows Miss Haglund’s mother. She first met Kirsten when she was a baby. This summer, the former Miss America was quite impressed with seeing Miss Haglund’s winning performance at the Miss Michigan contest this summer. “She just commanded the stage,” Mrs. Wilson said.

Should she travel to Las Vegas for the 2008 pageant, in hopes of seeing another Miss Michigan take the national title? Mrs. Wilson debated the situation. While former queens are encouraged to attend pageant events, she had obligations back home in Monroe that included a board meeting for Gabby’s Ladder Family Grief Center, an open house at St. Mary School and activities her children were involved in this week.

So, Mrs. Wilson decided to stay home. But she and Miss Haglund corresponded by e-mail during pageant week. And she turned on the television to watch the finale on TLC. There was a flurry of excited phone calls between Mrs. Wilson and other pageant staff and fans after Miss Haglund got the crown.

One of the phone calls was with a friend who was sitting in the audience in Las Vegas, as Miss Haglund gave her first press conference as Miss America.

National chief executive officer Art McMasters realized who was on the other end of the call, grabbed the cell phone and said to Mrs. Wilson, “You should have been here!”

But … just as the press conference ended, and while Miss America was being escorted to a reception in her honor, Mr. McMasters handed the phone to Miss Haglund.

“Congratulations, Miss America!” Mrs. Wilson said to the Farmington Hills college student.

Miss Haglund recognized the voice, but could barely talk.

“I immediately began to cry,” Mrs. Wilson recalled. “I told her just enjoy it. It’s going to go so fast. Just have fun.”

Mrs. Wilson said the pageant customs include giving Miss America a formal homecoming event in her hometown about a month into her reign. And she will certainly attend those festivities when they get scheduled in Michigan.

For the record, there are now five Miss Michigans who have reigned as Miss America: 1939, 1961, 1980, 1988 and 2008.

This and additional photos can be found at the Miss America site.