BOCA RATON,
Fla. – Model, two-time pageant
winner and philanthropist Deborah
Bernstein will be a special guest of
honor at a fundraising event to benefit
the Jewish Guild For The Blind from 6 to
8 p.m. on September 9 at ZED451. Well
wishers will be among attendees, as the
occasion also marks Bernstein’s “send
off” to the Mrs. Florida International
Pageant, which is scheduled in Orlando the following week. She will be one of
43 contestants statewide.
Bernstein, a Boca
Raton resident, held the
titles of Mrs. Florida 2002 and Ms, Florida
U.S. Continental 2008 and
will be representing
Boca Raton in the
Mrs. Florida International competition
this September. The wife of insurance
entrepreneur Ted Bernstein and mother of
four was also selected by Boca
Raton-based Blinc Inc., the
international cosmetics company, during
a search last year for a fresh face for
its new skin care line.
“I anxiously look forward to competing
in the Mrs. Florida International
Pageant,” Bernstein said. “Pageants
aren’t only about beauty.
Winning has been a way for me to mix
with my community and promote the causes
– called
platforms in pageant terms –
that are near and dear to me. Giving
back to others has influenced everything
I’ve done since I was a young girl
growing up in New
England. My parents taught
me to put others before myself, and that
a simple smile or a few words of
kindness can provide encouragement, hope
and inspiration.”
Bernstein also enjoys being a role model
for others, exemplifying good character
and generosity. She was a
key collaborator in establishing The Ted
& Deborah Bernstein Family Foundation in
2008 and presides over the foundation
that financially assists families and
children in need of counseling and
therapeutic services. Also among her
charitable endeavors are her commitments
to One Laptop Per Child, the American
Cancer Society, the Humane Society of
Greater Miami, the Cystic Fibrosis
Foundation and the Jewish Guild For The
Blind.
ZED451, a popular restaurant in Mizner Park, graciously agreed to host the
September 9 event, which will see
Bernstein feted and also raise money for
the Jewish Guild For The Blind.
Founded in 1914, The Jewish Guild for
the Blind is a not-for-profit,
non-sectarian agency that provides a
broad range of services to people who
are blind and visually impaired,
regardless of economic circumstance,
age, race or religion. Its mission has
been to empower individuals with little
or no vision, and who may have other
disabilities, to live their lives with
dignity and independence. In
Florida, the Palm Beach
Division has been instrumental in
bringing financial and volunteer support
to hospitals, social service agencies
and health-related programs within Palm Beach County. The Guild raised money to fund a
low vision center located at Bascom
Palmer in Palm Beach Gardens. The Lois Pope Jewish Guild for
the
Blind
Low Vision Center provides evaluation, treatment and
special devices to help people with low
vision lead normal lives. In addition,
The Guild’s annual scholarship program
for college-bound high school students
who are legally blind awarded 2009 Guild
Scholar scholarships to 13 students.
Two students from Florida have received scholarships.
The September 9 event is open to the
public. Admission is a suggested $20
donation. Drinks and light fare will be
served. Additional activities planned
for the evening include music, informal
modeling, and raffle giveaways.
ZED 451 is located at 201 Plaza Real in
Mizner Park in Boca Raton. For reservations or further
information, email
events@yourhitch.com or call
(561) 865-7192.