MISS MICHIGAN WINS IT ALL

I don't follow beauty pageants, but it's cool to see Miss Michigan Kirsten Haglund win this year's competition.

Haglund is from Farmington Hills, and a Grand Rapids resident was part of the winning team.

Haglund suffered from an image complex and eating disorder three years ago:

The ballet dancer was diagnosed with anorexia, and the lack of nutrition caused her collar bones to stick out, her heart rate to drop and her relationships to suffer.

"I would feel fatigued walking up six stairs," the 19-year-old Haglund said Sunday, a day after being crowned Miss America 2008. "I was a completely different person. It's not a pretty sight."

She plans to champion eating disorder awareness, and her first move is sort of a step in that direction.

Immediately following her win, it was announced that Haglund would be the official spokesperson of IHOP's third annual National Pancake Day:

In celebration of National Pancake Day on Tuesday, February 12, 2008 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., IHOP, one of America's favorite restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner, will give away one free short stack of its signature buttermilk pancakes to all guests. In return, IHOP asks that its guests consider making a donation to support local children's hospitals through Children's Miracle Network, a non-profit dedicated to improving children's hospitals nationwide, or other local charities.