Gala benefits kids of fallen military and first responders
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — 'Angels of America's Fallen,' a nonprofit based in Colorado Springs, celebrated its 10th anniversary on Saturday, April 26.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Annual Angel Gala to celebrate 10th Anniversary
The gala was held at the new Hotel Polaris, located on the grounds of the U.S. Air Force Academy, and honored the children of America's fallen military, peace officers, and firefighting professionals. The event included child performances, inspiring stories, a gourmet meal, and dancing.
FOX21's Matt Meister emceed the event, speaking with guests on the red carpet to get their stories and share what makes this organization stand out.
According to the Angels of America's Fallen website, more than 16,000 children have lost their military or first responder parent since 9/11, and the organization's mission is to support those children by providing activities, grief counseling, and scholarships.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Gala benefits kids of fallen military and first responders
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — 'Angels of America's Fallen,' a nonprofit based in Colorado Springs, celebrated its 10th anniversary on Saturday, April 26. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Annual Angel Gala to celebrate 10th Anniversary The gala was held at the new Hotel Polaris, located on the grounds of the U.S. Air Force Academy, and honored the children of America's fallen military, peace officers, and firefighting professionals. The event included child performances, inspiring stories, a gourmet meal, and dancing. FOX21's Matt Meister emceed the event, speaking with guests on the red carpet to get their stories and share what makes this organization stand out. According to the Angels of America's Fallen website, more than 16,000 children have lost their military or first responder parent since 9/11, and the organization's mission is to support those children by providing activities, grief counseling, and scholarships. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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The extent to which 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh had found herself in uncharted military territory became clear at a NASCAR event in February, where her dual-hat duties required her to execute quick changes between her Air Force combat utility uniform and full pageant regalia. Her schedule had her meeting the Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team and then a collection of military generals before shifting to a more conventional Miss America crowd-greeting public appearance at the race. Marsh, 23, who will complete her year as the first active-duty Miss America in January, said she realized a level-setting conversation was in order as she scrambled to conform to wildly different appearance standards in rapid succession. 'Obviously, the Miss America people, they don't know Air Force uniform standards, so no one knows, 'Oh wait, you can't wear lashes and a long giant ponytail and red lipstick and eyeshadow in uniform,'' Marsh said. 'And it's like, no I can't do both of those at once.' 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While she enjoys making the connections, she said, it's also a little stressful given the appearance standards and requirements for Miss America. 'Even last week, I was doing my outprocessing for my base and showed up to work with no makeup,' she said. 'And one of the people who worked at the front was like, 'Oh, we've got to get the major.'' Even sans makeup, she said, she agreed to a group photo with the office staff. 'Everyone always has the opportunity to do small things for other people and make their day,' Marsh said. 'So, that's been cool, to give people joy like that this year.' Even apart from her top title in one of the nation's most prestigious pageant competitions, Marsh's achievements and aspirations demonstrate her fearlessness. 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