Sara Larson visited Neveln Elementary School in Austin Friday.

Larson is preparing for the 2009 Miss Minnesota pageant scheduled June 19 and 20 at Eden Prairie High School.

She is seeking the crown held by Angie McDermott, Austin.

McDermott, now employed by the Austin Convention/Visitors Bureau, is the daughter of Jean McDermott, Neveln’s principal.

The pageant winners are friends and Larson considers McDermott, who won Miss Austin, Miss Twin Cities and Miss Minnesota pageants a “valuable resource person” to seek out during the summer to come.

Larson is the daughter of Dr. Barry and Pam Larson, Austin. She is ending her sophomore year at Bethel University.

Since winning the Miss Capital City crown last Fall, Larson has been busy. “Very busy,” she said, making personal appearances.

She leaves later this month for a two-week European tour with the Bethel University Choir.

A High Distinction graduate from Austin High School in 2007, among Larson’s musical credits is performing with the Austinaires choral group. Its director, Brian Johnson, was Larson’s choice as most inspiring teacher when she graduated.

After the European tour, it’s back to the personal appearance grind before the Miss Minnesota pageant gets underway.

Larson’s pageant platform is called “Strike 3! Throwing Children’s Cancer A Curve Ball.”

She has teamed up with Minnesota Twins pitcher, Craig Bredlow, to promote the education and awareness needs for children’s cancer research.

“Each day 46 families in America are hit with earth-shattering, life-changing news — that their precious son or daughter has cancer,” Larson said in a statement.

“Out of those 46 children, about how many children fill two first-grade classrooms, 10 will die. But if this was 1990, only 18 years ago, cancer would have stolen the lives of 28 of those children.”

“This is a moving testimony to the great strides children’s cancer research has made — and continues to make,” she said.

Her visit to Neveln Elementary School Friday paralleled her “Strike 3!” platform on the need for more cancer research.

Larson visited the school to promote “Karl’s Pack of Hope,” a spinoff of the Karl Potach Memorial Golf Tournament each August and the Karl Potach Foundation.

Larson distributed two backpacks to each Neveln classroom. The students have two weeks to fill the backpacks with gift items for hospitalized children. Larson will collect the backpacks and with the help of Brenda Potach distribute them to children at Austin Medical Center – Mayo Health System.

Helping promote the Karl’s Pack of Hope campaign locally, her own Strike 3 pageant platform, a European choir tour and the Miss Minnesota pageant in June make this a memorable summer for Larson.

“The Miss Minnesota pageant is very important to me,” she said. “It’s an opportunity not to be missed and it takes a lot of hard work.”

How does Larson keep things in perspective? Answer: Staying grounded.

“I really appreciate growing up in Austin and going to church and school here,” she said. “The pageant is important, but I always want to keep family and friends in perspective.”