On Saturday, January 14th, nearly 200 people converged at the Fort Harrison in downtown Clearwater to celebrate an evening acknowledging the contestants and winners of Certamen La Bahía (Contest of the Bay), presented by Venezuela USA Foundation.

Elizabeth Reyes, the organizer of the contest, says the event is an answer to a world that emphasizes physical perfection over personal development.

“Beauty is a multi-dimensional concept that can be seen inside and outside a person,” said Reyes. “When it comes to internal beauty, qualities such as kindness, compassion, empathy, care, strength, resilience, integrity, honesty, passion, wisdom, insight, humor, and joyfulness make individuals stand out.”

To be eligible for the contest, the participants attended 15 workshops and seminars focusing on self-development. The finalists who made it to the last round of the completion took to the Fort Harrison stage on the 14th.

The youngest contestant was 6 years old and the oldest 78 years old. During the event, the contestants walked the catwalk and answered questions from a panel of 15 judges from around the Tampa Bay area.

As the pinnacle of the evening, a King, Queen, and Princess in several age categories were crowned.

Sponsors of the event included the Church of Scientology, Super Q 106.7 FM, 1300 AM Tan Latino Como Tu, TeleAmerica National Television and Nuestro Mundo y Mas con Eli.

The Fort Harrison is the international religious retreat for the Church of Scientology. The Church makes this facility available for use by nonprofits for their special events and activities.

“We are honored to support nonprofits such as the Venezuela USA Foundation and the Certamen La Bahía event,” said Lisa Mansell from the Church of Scientology’s Public Affairs Office. “Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard once wrote, ‘People have value and are important. Big or small they are important.’ This pageant demonstrated this idea beautifully.”

For more information about the Venezuela USA Foundation, please call (800) 705-5041.

About the Venezuela OSA Foundation

Founded in 2019, the Venezuela USA Foundation’s purpose is multi-fold. The Foundation’s purpose is to spread moral values, promote democracy, recover faith in the country of Venezuela and to contribute to the socioeconomic development of the Nation. The Foundation provides support to Venezuelans living in the United States, helps Venezuelans stay connected to their culture and introduces others to the culture of Venezuela.

About Certamen La Bahía

The Certamen la Bahía (The Bay Contest) was founded by TV and Radio personality Eli Reyes to help others reach their potential and inspire individuals to personal excellence. The Certamen la Bahía is a pageant that welcomes individuals between the ages of 6 – 99. Over the course of several months, contestants participate in 15 seminars and workshops that focus on personal development. Pageant founder Elizabeth Reyes wants the pageant “to symbolize hope, built on values that resonate with the essence of human potential and community spirit. At its core, it's about serving the community and supporting one another, fostering bonds beyond boundaries.” For more information about the pageant, please call 787-307-2813 or [email protected].