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.