Danielle Hill, a contestant of the Miss Kansas competition has taken her platform of agriculture to a new level of service. By mixing her platform "Cultivating Healthy Lifestyles" and the Miss America platform for the Children's Miracle Network, Danielle has created Kernels for Kids.

"Kernels for Kids is a way for our nations' and the state of Kansas crop producers to make a difference in their communities for families that are in need," Danielle said.

Danielle Hill is a Miss Kansas Contestant who is promoting agriculture through a philanthropy she created called Kernels for Kids.

 Kernels for Kids is a charity that collects bushels of grain from grain elevators across the state of Kansas. The grain is then sold and the proceeds are donated to the Children's Miracle Network. All donations raised by Kernels for Kids directly benefit KU Medical Center in Kansas City, Via Christi Hospital in Wichita, and St. Francis Health Center in Topeka.

Farmers can contribute to Kernels for Kids by donating bushels of grain at their local elevator. On the 15th of every month Danielle sells all the donated grain at market value. The money earned from the grain is then directly given to the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals in Kansas. Danielle says Kernels for Kids is an easy way for farmers to make a difference and help support children in need.

After visiting one of the Children's Miracle Network hospitals that receives the benefits of Kernels for Kids, Danielle's desire to earn more support has increased.

"Getting to see the families and the children that are receiving the benefits of those bushels of grain, really brought it full circle. It made me want to get more elevators involved and ask for that extra ten bushels because I have seen who it's affecting and how it's affecting them," she said.

Danielle is a graduate of Kansas State University in Animal Science and now attends Cleveland Chiropractic College with aspirations of being an animal chiropractor. Attending school in Kansas City and being the "only person with a pair of square-toed boots" is what gave Danielle the desire to compete for the Miss Kansas title.

"Coming from an Ag background, I felt that it was important that those people who are teaching others about nutrition and health understand where their food comes from" she said.

Danielle currently represents the Kansas City area as "Miss Wooded Hills". She is spending her year promoting the platform of "Cultivating Healthy Lifestyles." As a voice for agriculture, her mission is to educate the public on who produces food, plus where and how it is produced. She believes that understanding these points can lead to a healthier lifestyle. Danielle hopes to continue to promote her passion for agriculture and health as Miss Kansas. She says it would be an honor to represent Kansas on the Miss America stage and bring Kernels for Kids nationwide.

The Miss Kansas competition will be held June 6th-8th in Pratt, Kansas. Danielle is the only contestant running on an agriculture platform. Danielle says being a part of the Miss Kansas competition is about agriculture having a presence and putting the spotlight on an industry that can help cultivate a healthy lifestyle for us all.

To get involved with Kernels for Kids, visit www.kernels4kids.com, where you will find instructions on how to make your local elevator a Kernels for Kids elevator. The website also provides a link on how to donate and get involved even if you do not have bushels of grain to give.