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 .
Top: The Wilhite residence kitchen in Springhill, Florida combines a dramatic use of a tile-framed backsplash for an accent - a Lufriu Marble specialty - with cut-out countertop edging that follows the custom cabinetry profile. Center Inset and Below: Hyde kitchen project features a large center island of 3cm Splendor Delicatus granite with a half bullnose edge. George Lufriu also specializes in restoration work and custom commercial kitchens.
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