April Lufriu wears many hats. She's vice-president of Lufriu Marble, Inc. in Tampa, Florida, a dental hygienist, and a model. She's also wife to George Lufriu, who is president of Lufriu Marble, and mother to two children and an older stepson. In May, she added a new hat to her collection (rather, a tiara), when she was crowned Mrs. America 2011 in West Virginia.

"I'm still completely shocked and amazed that I won," said Lufriu. "I wanted to bring awareness to the cause, and this will help me do that."

The cause Lufriu is referring to is the other hat she wears - as president of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Foundation Fighting Blindness. In 1989, her sister was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative disease that leads to blindness. After learning about the disease, the sisters contacted the foundation, which supports research for preventions, treatments, and cures for blinding retinal diseases. When they discovered there was no local chapter, they co-chaired a fundraising VisionWalk and formed a chapter.

Then, in February 2010, Lufriu discovered her two children, now age 12 and 7, had the disease, and she was diagnosed with a mild form.

"I know this may sound like a broken record, but I thank God for putting me in the position with my sister," she said. "It helped me be prepared when my own children were diagnosed with the disease."

Lufriu, age 41, also wanted to do more. She had been involved with beauty pageants in her 20s, but not in recent years. She decided to start competing again as a way of sharing her personal story and helping the foundation.

"I knew from my past experience how effective the crown and the banner can be."

In May 2010 she started preparing for the Mrs. Florida pageant, where she got second runner up. In February 2011 she ran again and won.

"I was ecstatic about winning Mrs. Florida, but I only had six weeks to prepare for the Mrs. America contest," she said, meaning she had to practice her interviewing skills and get in shape. "You don't necessarily have to be thin, but you do have to be physically fit. Of course I'm a mom and very busy, so I didn't have much time for exercise, so I was on a high protein and vegetable diet. It was torture, but I stuck with it. I had to - I was competing with 20-year-olds!"

The Mrs. American contest is open to married women age 20 through their 50s.

Practicing for the interviews was a little easier because of her knowledge and passion about her subject. Lufriu said that 50 percent of the competition is based on an interview with the judges.

The actual competition took place over 15 days at the Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Things started out a bit shaky for Lufriu, who flew to the competition, arriving with only one of her suitcases - the one full of shoes.

"But I wore the same outfit for a couple of days and the other girls helped me out, and somehow I made it work," she said, laughing.

Eventually she got her other suitcases and made it through the 15 days of rehearsals, meeting people, and events like the swimsuit and evening gown competitions.

Top: April Lufriu and her children Savannah and Brandon share a hug after her crowning as 2011 Mrs. America. April and husband George Lufriu own and operate Lufriu Marble, Inc. in Tampa, Florida.

Below: Lufriu's crowning by (left) Mrs. America 2010-2011, Shelley Carbone, and Diane Dinegris, former Mrs. America 2007 and former Mrs. World 2007.

The final event of the pageant was held on April 14, though it aired on television on May 8. On the final day, it was down to three contestants and one final question: "Complete this sentence - 'I have your vote because ...'"

"When I heard that I thought, 'I can do this.' I told them it was because I am a mom and I was there to represent my children and to help people who have special needs or parents who have children with special needs. It was straight from my heart, and I think the judges heard that."

Since winning the competition, Lufriu has been busier than ever fulfilling the requirements of Mrs. America and continuing her work with the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Plus, she's still wearing all those other hats. As vice-president to Lufriu Marble, she manages the family business, which provides custom countertops, bathrooms, tile flooring, pools, fireplaces, and more. April Lufriu is a dental hygienist by trade, but her husband, George, comes from a long line of craftsmen. George Lufriu has been working with natural stone building high-end custom pools and fabrication projects since he was a teenager.

They started the business in 1995, and Lufriu says they enjoy working together as a team.

"He's the president, but he tells a lot of people that I'm really the boss," she said with a laugh. "When we started, I was a full-time hygienist and I didn't know anything about the business. But after I had my son I started doing the bookkeeping." Gradually she added more responsibilities, "and now I manage the whole thing." They have seven employees, including her 25-year-old stepson. "Everyone here is pretty much family. We're small, but we do higher-end quality custom jobs. We're a onestop shop."

For instance, her husband is currently working on a 30,000-square-foot home in the Tampa area, including the custom-made pool in the back, the fountain in the front, the flooring, staircases, showers, cladding, and all the countertops - all in different types of natural stone. George Lufriu is also known for his restoration work and his work on "the back of the house" in restaurant kitchens, which he does throughout the country.

April Lufriu also continues to work as a dental hygienist on an occasional basis. And she models for television and takes care of her children. It was her devotion to them that brought about her involvement with the fight against blindness and pursuing the Mrs. America pageant. When her son showed signs of night blindness two years ago, she set out to get him tested.

"I noticed my son had problems with night vision, and I knew that was a sign that something was wrong," she said. She took him to an ophthalmologist, who told her something was definitely wrong with his retina. They had to arrange a special visit to a university clinic, which is where she and her children were diagnosed.

There is no cure for retinitis pigmentosa, but clinical trials are helping. Unfortunately, one clinical trial costs 30 million dollars, Lufriu said. That is why she works with the Foundation Fighting Blindness and helps them raise money through fundraisers like VisionWalks. She recently returned from a convention where she met with doctors and others working in that area of study.

"They said they were working to find a cure, and that encouraged me," she said. "I am busy, I know, but I love it and I would do anything for this cause. That is my whole reason for doing this."

For more information on retinitis pigmentosa and the Foundation Fighting Blindness, see www.blindness.org . For more on the Mrs. America pageant, see www.mrsamerica.com . For more information on Lufriu Marble, Inc. please visit www.lufriu.com .

For more information on supporting this worthy organization visit www.visionwalk.org and click on the Tampa event link.

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