7th Annual Fashions with Flair a Success for the Clearwater Community Volunteers

On Saturday, August 29th, ladies and gentlemen attired with casual elegance in sport coats and gowns arrived at the Belleair Country Club for the Seventh Annual Fashions with Flair silent auction and fashion show.

Over 200 items were up for bid in the silent auction. There was “something for everyone”, from Ruth Eckerd Hall Tickets to gift certificates for one hour massages, from Rebecca Minkoff handbags to Florida Aquarium tickets, even a Chihuahua puppy, all “going under the hammer”. All of the items up for auction were donated by local businesses and artists to help raise money for the event's sponsored causes. Bidding was competitive but friendly, and closed just before the fashion show so volunteers could tally the winning bids. Without the generosity of so many people, the event could not have been such a success.

Putting the "fashions" in Fashions with Flair were local leading ladies who have had a positive influence in the community. Modeling the gowns were Susan Valdes, Hillsborough County School Board Member; Lorena Rivas Hardwick, of the Neighborhood & Community Relations Office for the City of Tampa; Pat Harney, Public Affairs Director for the Church of Scientology; Lisa Mansell, Community Affairs Director for the Church of Scientology; Margaret Wood Burnside, editor of Tampa Bay Magazine; Karla Rettstatt, City of Belleair Commissioner; Luz E. Nagle, Professor of Law at the Stetson University College of Law; Courtney Orr, Downtown Manager for the City of Clearwater; Kate Behler Hart, educator and model; Bahiyyah Sadiki, President of the St. Petersburg Islamic Center; Julie Ryczek, the governor’s council on physical fitness; and Clara Tavaras, host and producer on Super Q Radio Station 1300 am. They all looked stunning as they “walked the catwalk” modeling fashions from Ambria’s Gallery of Wearable Art, MJ Fashions and Gifts, Kina Kouture and Warehaus Botique.

Fashions with Flair was put on by the Clearwater Community Volunteers (CCV), with the purpose of raising money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central & Northern Florida Gulf Coast Region, and Winter Wonderland. Every year in December, the hardworking volunteers of the CCV put on the annual holiday fundraiser which benefits such charities as The Boys and Girls Club, The Homeless Emergency Project and Everybody’s Tabernacle. More work is put into this event than most people realize, especially since every winter the event gets bigger and better. In order to produce an event of this magnitude, the CCV holds fundraisers throughout the year, such as their annual Sunday at the Spa, and Fashions with Flair.

The Clearwater Community Volunteers was established in 1994 by parishioners of the Church of Scientology who wanted to become more involved in the local community by putting on events and helping other groups in the community. In addition to Fashions with Flair, Sunday at the Spa and Winter Wonderland, the CCV also puts on the annual Easter Egg Hunt in Coachman Park, and sponsors a Little League team, The Mets.

For more information on the Clearwater Community Volunteers, go to www.clearwatercommunityvolunteers.org

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