CLEARWATER, FL – Hoping to stem the tide of childhood poverty, which affects 19% of all children in Pinellas County, and low food security, which affects 20% of all children in Pinellas County, the Clearwater Community Volunteers (CCV) raised thousands of dollars in funds this weekend at their 19th Annual Fashions with Flair Fashion Show at the Fort Harrison in downtown Clearwater. Nearly 300 people attended to help raise funds that will benefit both Winter Wonderland and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Police Athletic League (PAL).

“We are so thrilled to have the community come out and show their support for Winter Wonderland and PAL,” said Joanie Sigal, the chairwoman of the event. “Because of their generosity, we raised thousands of dollars to help the children of Pinellas County.”

Noting the ten community leaders who donated their time to model as well as the Pippa Pelure Boutique in St. Petersburg, Sigal said the event was a team effort.


The models this year were: Margaret Word-Burnside (Publisher of Tampa Bay Magazine), Sharon Fekete (Founder, 13th Avenue Media), Seema Ramroop (Hope Villages of America Board Member), Rita Ivy (Founder of Indigenous Vibes), Denise Hall (Miss Tampa Pageant), Bahiyyah Sadiki (retired educator), Kathy Litton (PAL Board Member), Brandi Winans (motivational speaker), Maureen Gabe (President, Woman’s Service League) and Tracy Stephens (Tampa Electric Company).


“The CCV was founded by a group of Scientologists who wanted to do something to help the children in our community. Scientology’s Founder, L. Ron Hubbard, noted that ‘When children become unimportant to a society, that society has forfeited its future,’” said Sigal. “We are fortunate to work in partnership with PAL, Pippa Pelure and the lovely ladies who modeled for us today to help ensure the children of Pinellas County are kept important to this community.”

Clearwater Community Volunteers is now gearing up for the 30th Annual Winter Wonderland, which will open in downtown Clearwater on Saturday December 2nd. For more information and updates on Winter Wonderland, go to www.clearwatercommunityvolunteers.org.


About Clearwater Community Volunteers (CCV)
The Clearwater Community Volunteers, an organization dedicated to helping children, has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in the past 29 years for Tampa Bay children’s charities, including the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches, Nourish to Flourish, Children’s Home Network and many, many more. CCV gets its inspiration from L. Ron Hubbard’s precept “Love and Help Children” from The Way to Happiness (a non-religious, common-sense guide to better living).

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