The 5th Annual Idaho Miss Amazing Pageant was held the weekend of February 10th-11th, 2017, at the Nampa Civic Center and Gem State Developmental Center proudly showcased 5 of its participants as pageant contestants: Suzanne, Stefanie C., Brooke, Stephanie P., and Brenda.

DJ and Will also served as right-hand men! They accompanied the beautiful ladies onto the stage during the Formal Evening Wear Showcase. It was also their night to feel special and to be able to help these women feel the spotlight on them. DJ commented "It was awesome. We got to meet a lot of new people and talk to the other escorts. We get to meet a lot of girls that do it, as well as get a chance to be on the news". Will also added "It was fun; it was fun and I want to do it again".

What started 5 years ago with less than 40 contestants held at a local high school has become a popular annual event where young girls and women WANT to be a part of this pageant. This is a strong testament to the impact the Idaho Miss Amazing Pageant has made to so many young girls and women who have found a platform to display their unique, beautiful, and amazing personality and ambition to others. It is an experience that has inspired all of them to empower themselves and to dream big and reach their full potential.

On the 14th of October, we held an Art Festival at our Meridian facility showcasing our participants art from throughout the year including their Western Idaho Fair entries. Our Nampa facility joined the party, where we played music and had lots of fun dancing and socializing.

We also had some delicious caramel corn that our participants made. We had tons of fun hosting this Festival, giving our participants an opportunity to show off their beautiful art and talent as well as enjoying the afternoon socializing with others. We're looking forward to hosting another Festival next year, and hoping that you can join us!

This year, GSDC partnered with Cinderella's Closet to sponsor our young ladies participating in the event by giving them an "all expense paid field trip" to Cinderella's Closet. Here they picked their special dress, shoes and jewlery that they would wear to the pageant. In addition, some ofthe ladies were interviewed by KBOI Channel 2 and KTVB Channel 7, who were both there to capture this fun and memorable event.

The pageant was 2 fun-filled days of excitement and memories. It started April 8th with the Talent Show, and was followed the next day by the Formal Evening Showcase. This event allowed the young ladies to display their beauty. Each contestant walked away as a Pageant Princess, recieving a trophy and a crown for participating.

We are also very proud to have one of our participants, Chantell Rupe, crowned as the State Queen in her division! We would also like to give a big shoutout to DJ C., Will M. and Paulo H. who served as escorts for the ladies. Everyone helped make this a memorable night that none of us will soon forget.

The weekend of March 27/28, 2015 was a busy, fun-filled and amazing one for almost 70 young girls and women with disabilities who took part in the 3rd Annual Idaho Miss Amazing Pageant at the Nampa Civic Center. Gem State Developmental Center was represented by 3 contestants: Mia Homeister, Emily Lopez and Brenda Ward; and 2 male escorts: DJ Casper and William Martindale.

This year again exemplified the goals and desires of the Idaho Miss Amazing Pageant to give these young girls and women a platform to be recognized – and for all of them it was a night in the spotlight, a night of memories, and foremost, a night to remember.

High”LIGHTS” of the 2nd Annual Idaho Miss Amazing Pageant, held on Saturday, 2/8/2014, at the Boise State University’s Special Events Center, included a fun-filled night of almost 40 young girls and women with disabilities showcasing their truest abilities and skills in the Interview, Talent Show, Introduction and Evening Gown categories.

The “CAMERA” of the professional photographer, as well as the video camera captured the celebration of the pageantry with the amazing talents from the Talent Show, and the glamour of all the contestants in their beautiful evening gowns and giving a boost to their confidence and self-esteem.

The night was full of “ACTION” with the contestants making new friends, renewing friendships from last year, having lots of fun, and most importantly, making a lifetime of memories. This pageant will continue to become more popular each year with not only increasing contestant participation, but more significantly, increasing awareness of young girls and women with disabilities that they truly have abilities within themselves to showcase what is ‘amazing’ within each individual.

While there are many Developmental Disability Agencies, GSDC has the claim to fame to be the 1st and longest DDA providing 30 years of assistance and quality services to individuals with developmental disabilities. Martin and Rosalie Landholm, owners of GSDC, opened their doors in 1983 as the first non-governmental administered and managed DDA in the state of Idaho.

Over the course of thirty years, GSDC has served thousands of individuals and employed hundreds of employees at their 4 centers in Meridian and Nampa. There have been innumerable changes, challenges, amazing stories, as well as opportunities to take action as experts and leaders in this field. As we continue to work hard to assist and enhance the lives of those that receive services and those that render such services, we are optimistic about the future and poised to meet all new challenges to the upmost success.

We are proud of our accomplishments, the advancements in our industry, achievements of people with disabilities, and their successes towards maximizing their strengths to better their lives, their families, and our community. GSDC wishes to thank everyone who is a part of our wonderful history, our community, and our state for making “what we do” such a gratifying and priceless experience.

GSDC Celebrates 30 Years (Meridian Press 2013)

GSDC was very fortunate to have four of its own clients participate in the 1st Annual Idaho Miss Amazing Pageant earlier this year in Kuna, Idaho. The Idaho Miss Amazing Pageant celebrates the abilities of girls and young women with disabilities and this served as a foundation and inspiration for Stefanie Christensen, Mia Homeister, Courtney Schreiber, and Brenda Ward to showcase their talent and beauty within the presence of other girls and young women.

Over the course of 2 evenings in early February 2013, these young ladies, along with about 30 other contestants got to feel what it is like to be in the spotlight, with displaying their talented skills such as singing and rapping the first night, and then modeling themselves in evening wear the following night in the presence of their family and friends. It was truly an opportunity of a lifetime for these young women that they will never forget with many memories and rewards they gained from it. They not only gained many new friends from the pageantry experience, but more importantly, they gained the confidence, self-esteem, and ability to realize that they are all beautiful in their own unique way and that dreams do come true.

Channel 7 honored the Idaho Miss Amazing Pageant with a Seven’s Hero broadcast segment highlighting many aspects of the pageant and interviewed one of GSDC’s clients, Mia Homeister and allowed her to showcase her talent of a rap song she wrote especially for the pageant about having a disability. Courtney Schreiber won the Miss Queen title for her division.