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Friday, March 29, 2024

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Contestant pair raise funds for diabetes awareness and supplies

Little Miss Spat contest hopeful Emalynn Norwood and 2021 Urbanna Oyster Festival queen contestant Madysen Davis paired to form Mission MDX. Their project was about raising awareness and money to help supplement the Northern Neck-Middlesex Free Health Clinic and the Middlesex County Public Schools with the diabetic supplies needed. 

At first, Madysen set up a Facebook group titled Mission MDX, Madysen and Emalynn’s Oyster Festival project, to help inform people about diabetes while also keeping them updated about their upcoming events. Throughout the competition they hosted Strike Down Diabetes, an unlimited bowling event with a silent auction, a benefit night at Deltaville Tap and Raw Bar with a 50/50 raffle, and a diabetic, gluten-free, and regular bake sale at the Deltaville Ballpark during a Deltaville Deltas baseball game. They also sold shirts with their logo on them for $22 a shirt. Together, they raised $3,986.60.

With the money raised, they purchased bulks of glucometers, glucometer kits with test strips, glucose tablets, lancets, lancing devices, bandaids, cotton balls, hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes and alcohol pads. The schools had also requested extra items such as juice boxes, low-carb breakfast bars, starbursts, and skittles. They then decided to purchase three gift certificates, two $100 and one $175, to leave at Marshall’s Drug Store for diabetic patients that came in to purchase their diabetic supplies. Lastly, with the remaining money, they donated $2,214.60 to the Middlesex County Department of Social Services for a fund for diabetics who come in need.   

Madysen is a senior at Middlesex High School and Chesapeake Bay Governor’s School. She will graduate with an associates degree and plans on attending Virginia Commonwealth University to pursue a career in pharmacy.

Throughout her high school career, Madysen has maintained over a 4.0 grade point average and has become part of the Spanish Honor Society and National Honor Society. Before her knee surgery, she played varsity soccer in her freshman and sophomore years and participated in basketball cheer her sophomore year as well. Madysen has many friends and family members with diabetes, causing it to be near and dear to her heart.

Madysen is the daughter of Lisa Williams and Allen Gates Davis Jr. Her grandparents are Jean and David Cable and Bubba and Deborah Hamilton and Joanne Groffel. Madysen has three siblings, Jordyn, Evan and Kylie Davis.

Emalynn is an energetic first grader who loves crafts and swimming in her grammy’s pool! She is not afraid of anything and loves to try new things and works hard on anything she wants to accomplish. Everyone Emalynn meets is a friend to her and she loves to help anyone in any way she can. She likes to catch bugs, climb trees, hike on the rocks in Richmond, and garden with her mother. Emalynn is in love with all animals and aspires to be a veterinarian. She is the daughter of Brittany and Dylan Norwood, and the granddaughter of Kristee and Darren Norwood, along with being the great-granddaughter of Sandy and David Woolard.

Both girls thoroughly enjoyed learning more about diabetes and loved to see the smiles on people’s faces during their donation drop-offs. At the end of the project, Madysen found out that another close family friend’s teen granddaughter was ill and hospitalized and was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Madysen states that this project will forever hold a place in her heart and play a major part in her life.