Sarah Bazey - Mrs International

Mrs. Minnesota of Minneapolis, Sarah Bazey, 46, was crowned Mrs. International 2012, Saturday, July 21 at the 27^th Annual Mrs. International Pageant in Skokie, Ill.  The two-hour event, held at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, featured nearly 60 contestants from around the world competing in three categories, including interview, fitness-wear and evening gown.  Bazey was crowned Mrs. International by her husband, Joseph, before a sold-out audience.

            A Harvard Business School graduate and an accomplished business professional, Bazey is the owner and president of Minneapolis-based Simplex Construction Supplies, Inc., which celebrates its 25^th anniversary this month.   In 1994, Bazey chartered a helicopter to survey a concrete paving project for which her company supplied construction materials; the flight ended in a horrific crash.  Belted inside the helicopter and dowsed in jet fuel, Bazey suffered third-degree burns over 40 percent of her body when the helicopter exploded.  She went on to endure 15 surgeries, 18 months of therapy and countless medical procedures. Today, she proudly serves as Vice President of the National Board of Trustees for the Phoenix Society, a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering burn victims through support programs, education and advocacy.

          Bazey also has served as a volunteer at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, MN since 1995 helping other burn patients.  In 2001, the Phoenix Society launched its Survivor Offering Assistance in Recovery (SOAR) program and she has continued to volunteer at the hospital through this program.  Additionally, she has been a keynote speaker for the World Burn Congress.