1 / 9
anci Walker models an outfit at the Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation Fashion Show at Santini Marina Plaza on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Casey Bradley Gent
2 / 9
Trista Walker models an outfit at the Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation Fashion Show at Santini Marina Plaza. Photo by Casey Bradley Gent
3 / 9
The Alex King Group volunteered to model clothes at the Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation Fashion Show. From left to right is Rita Murray, Alex King, Bettina Koss and Trista Walker. Photo by Casey Bradley Gent
4 / 9
Leani’s Casual and Swimwear owner Carrie Smith models some outfits at the Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation Fashion Show at Santini Marina Plaza on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Casey Bradley Gent
5 / 9
Alex King, who sponsored the Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation Fashion Show, also took part in modeling some of the clothing. Photo by Casey Bradley Gent
6 / 9
Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation member Gayle Crabtree Pergoli models a dress at the Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation Fashion Show. Photo by Casey Bradley Gent
7 / 9
Bettina Koss, a Realtor with the Alex King Group, models a dress at the Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation Fashion Show. Photo by Casey Bradley Gent
8 / 9
Anita Cereceda, owner of The Islander, Gift Gallery & Boutique, who supplied many of the outfits modeled at the Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation Fashion Show. Photo by Casey Bradley Gent
9 / 9
Carrie Smith (left), owner of Leani’s Casual and Swimwear, and Anita Cereceda (right), owner of The Islander, Gift Gallery & Boutique. Photo by Casey Bradley Gent
The Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation outdid themselves again with a sold-out fashion show which was their most well-attended rendition yet, at Santini Marina Plaza.
Put together by Anita Cereceda owner of The Islander, Gift Gallery & Boutique, and Leani’s Casual and Swimwear owner Carrie Smith, this weekend’s fashion show sold out with more than 200 seats purchased. The event expanded this year with a tent in the breezeway between the two shops at the plaza.
Cereceda and Smith picked the clothes from their clothing stores for models to wear and show off. Cereceda said the clothes from the two shops compliment each other.
“That was a lot of fun,” Cereceda said. “It was wonderful to see so many people show up and such wonderful volunteers, including all of the folks who showed up to model all of our clothes,” Cereceda said. “I don’t think it could have been any better.”
“The event was a great success and raised over $16,000,” Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation Fashion Show Chair Susan Krajewski
There were 21 raffle baskets featuring items such as Italian dinners, wine and chocolate, children’s books, a lottery tree, and other silent auction items. A hand-carved wooden flamingo, a four-foot nutcracker, pictures from the late Leoma Lovegrove, and a dancing outdoor bird named Miss Cranestien made exclusively for the For Myers Beach Community Foundation by Marla from LaLa at the Beach, were among the silent auction items.
The event was catered by Smokin’ Oyster Brewery, with music from Mary Winner and Jo List.
Cereceda said the music from List and Winner was “a delightful added bonus.”
The King Family Foundation, The Whale and Sanibel Captiva Community Bank sponsored the show. Numerous beach businesses made donations for swag bags given to attendees.
“It was a banner year,” Cereceda said. “I think there was quite a bit of spillover for the other businesses at Santini Plaza.”
Krajewski said tickets for the show sold out three weeks before the event.
“This has always been one of our biggest fundraisers each year, so we continue to find ways to make it bigger and better. Before Covid we always held this event inside one of the local restaurants, so after canceling the event because of covid the week before the event, Anita Cereceda and I put our heads together to try to still make this event happen. That was the beginning of holding the show outside in the breezeway at Santini Plaza and live streaming it on Facebook,” Krajewski said. “When that was a success , we decided to just keep expanding it there.”
Krajewski said the event continues to grow. “Each year seems to be bigger and better and helps us raise more funds to give back to the community. The Community Foundation’s goal each year, through all of our fundraising events, is to raise as much money possible to give back to the local community with monetary gifts and scholarships.”