Animal Friends Jo Jo Couture Fashion Show!

A couple of weeks ago, my dear friend, the beautiful and talented Makeup Artist/Image Consultant, Starley Murray invited me model alongside the real model for the day, a doggie up for adoption! I've ALWAYS been a doggy lover so I was so THRILLED to be a part of this event. My daughter is a HUGE Animal Lover/Activist at the ripe age of 9. I've always been a lover of doggies, but I have learned so much from my little girls general love of ALL animals. She is truly amazing. I'm soo happy to have had my kids at this event. The photos, in fact, were all taken my by son! At the end of the event, my little girl, her cousin and a friend had gotten the information from the Shelter who provided the doggies for this event, Animal Friends (210)415-7035. The following Sunday, she and her friends contacted the shelter and went to volunteer all day! As if that wasn't enough to make me feel the proudest mommie in the world, my daughter, proceeded, on her own to make a Poster with images which she got from the animal Shelter website ( www.animalfriendsforever.org) of some of the dogs at this shelter and she collected a total of $300.00!! of donations for the shelter! Truly Amazing and I feel so blessed to have been able to help her with this natural desire to help animals that she was born with. Participating in this event was a perfect example of how helping just a little bit, can have a ripple effect! Since last year, I've been wanting so badly to become a "face" for the Own Up SA campaign, especially after a very unfair situation that I just went throught with one animal shelter in this city, Animal Care Services. I'm working to, hopefully, give a voice to the doggies at ACS who I suspect aren't being treated with the kindness they are supposed to be. Mine was a victim of the unfairness and neglicence at ACS. Thankfully, there are other shelters in San Antonio that are dedicated to "No Kill" policies, Animal Friends is one such shelter. I hope that Own UP allows me to help them with their cause to turn all San Antonio Animal Shelters into No Kill Shelters. Here's the very fashionable "Farley".. Here I am bonding with Farley's need to hydrate..took my back to my Survivor Fiji days of dehydration! I was paired up w/the perfect doggie..lol. One last one of Farley modeling down the Red Carpet..sorry, my son cut my head off:( No worries, cuz Farley's the star here:)

with the San Antonio Roses cheerleaders

Here I am at an event with the San Antonio Roses cheerleaders. Beautiful young girls that are always so very sweet to me whenever we run into each other at events. Cynthia Trinidad has done an AMAZING job of working with these girls and giving them a venue to develop their self esteem and a tool to acheive many goals.

Co-Auctioneer for Cystic Fibrosis "65 Roses Gala" 09

Mr. Hugh Farr once again gave me the priviledge of putting my grain of sand to help the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation by asking me to Co-Auctioneer at the "65 Roses Gala," held at the Riverwalk Westin Hotel in San Antonio. It was an uber elegant evening with attendees from all walks of San Antonio life, including my friends, Mayor Castro and his brother, Councilman Joaquin Castro. I had so much fun Co-Auctioneering (see video below). Dr. Maust was so generous to share the podium with me. I got a chance to practice my French and Italian as some of the items were French and Italian wines! I believe we raised a respectable amount in spite of this very difficult economy. Here are some images and you can find a beautiful slide on:http://www.flickr.com/photos/44356000@N07/sets/72157622743472628/show/
As always, I feel very blessed to be given opporutinites like this to help others. Here I am w/Jolissa (Top Knotch Productions), Hugh Farr (Dir.Lonestar CFF Chapter) and Steven (Top Knotch Productions). I am, of course, wearing one of my brother's, Nick Verreos (NIKOLAKI) designs.

Emcee for IADT "Around The World" Fashion Show

It was my great pleasure and priviledge to Emcee a truly unique Fashion show at the International Academy of Design and Techonology in San Antonio. Ms. Cynthia Rangel, Program Chair, extended this wonderful invitation to me. My brother, Nick Verreos, instilled in me a Passion for Fashion! and so I'm always so happy to be a part of the fashion world, sometimes as a model, and now, as an Emcee for fashion shows such as this one to help promote aspiring Fashion Design students.

Here I am with the Producer of the Fashion show, Ms. Coco and some of the models.

Modeling in Agosto Cuellar SA Fashion Week Fashion show!

I was very thankful to have been asked to model in a wonderful person and designer, Agosto Cuellar, fashion show on Guadalupe Street. It was the very 1st time that San Antonio had Fashion week. I was so very pleased to see everyone come out in support of Fashion and Agosto Cuellar. A 75 foot Runway was put up and I stepped on to it to be greeted by hundreds in the crowd...our very own little Bryant Park!

San Antonio Fashion Week, UNIVISION interview

Here's a fun interview that I got to do for Agosto Cuellar a few days before his fashion show on Guadalupe Street for the very 1st San Antonio Fashion week. I will be posting more images from that soon! You can also find some fotos of the fashion show on www.latinfusiontv.com

Eva's Heroes, Casino Night 09

Eva does it again! I'm so happy to have been able to attend Eva and Tony's Casino night this year. More importantly, I'm happy to do whatever I can to help Eva with this organization dedicated to enriching the lives of those with developmental challenges. Her sister Lisa, by the way, is absolutely delightful, and, may I add, has an eye for fashion...she was so sweet to compliment the dress I wore that night..of course, one of my brother's NIKOLAKI by Nick Verreos, designs. Nick has real celebrities wearing his designs on the Hollywoood Red Carpet, but I'm representin' in our San Antonio Red Carpets! I had a great time at the Golf Tournament that Eva did a couple of years ago, where George Lopez Hosted the main dinner.
Here I am with Eva Longoria-Parker at this year's Casino Night(above)
(below)With Al Frakes, Chairman of the Greater San Antonio Film Council and Brad Leland, from the hit series "Friday Night Lights." Ever since I met Eva's mom and dad, Ella and Enrique Longoria, I fell in love with them. They are such down to earth, sincerely kind and sweet people. Every time I see them, they make me feel like a "mija" or family and I just love them so much for that and for having rooted for their hometown "Survivor!" Los quiero mucho. Here I am with one of Eva's aunt's on my left and Ella Longoria on my right. Even though I've done the "Kids Exchange Celebrity Waiter Dinner" for the past couple of years, I had yet to get a photo with the handsome Spur, Brent Berry. His wife, Erin, who is absolutely stunning, let me borrow him for this photo:) (below)
and here I am with the sexy Leanne Tweeden of NBS's Poker After Dark.

Weekly segment on LONGHORN LIVE Radio Show

Longhorn Gene is working very hard to round up a sponsor for a weekly segment featuring me, Survivor Rita:). I would be the Jeff Probst of the segment reading off the Teams (or Tribes in Survivor language) getting voted off the BCS Island! Take a listen at my first segment last week. We were corrected, btw, by my son who is a Sports Enthusiast..and a natural born athlete! He pointed out that Cal Berkeley, had also been voted off:(. I guess it was hard for me to include them since I went to UC Berkeley my Freshman and Sophmore years:( Take a listen!

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LA Dogworks, on the Red Carpet in Los Angeles with my brother, Nick Verreos

Here's an excerpt from my brother, Nick Verreos' blogspot:

Last week, before my trip to Orange County to attend and judge Style Week OC, I was invited to "A Night of Emotion", an event benefiting Good Dog Animal Rescue as well as to raise awareness for the National Service Dogs Foundation and Fidelco Guide Dogs Foundation. Not Benny: Rita and Nick Verreos hold a Chihuahua puppy at the LA Dogworks "A Night of Emotion" event

As some of you may know, I own a beautiful Dachshund/King Charles mixed dog whom David and I rescued over a year ago, so ever since, I have become a "Dog Poppa" as well as a big supporter of all things canine. LA Dogworks is a fabulous "Doggy Hotel"/Kennel where we leave Benny when we have to go out of town (insert "sad face" here) and the location of this "orange carpet" event.Sisterly Love: Rita Verreos in ivory and printed silk charmeuse NIKOLAKI dress, LA Dogworks "A Night of Emotion" event

I didn't bring Benny, but I did get to bring my sister, Rita Verreos, who had been visiting in Los Angeles while filming a pageant runway coaching video (she's the Official "Runway Walking" Coach for the Miss California USA contestants.
She came over to my studio and of course I let her borrow a little NIKOLAKI cocktail dress for the occasion. I showed my sister where Benny stays while we are away and we enjoyed some delicious Joe's Pizza slices as we surveyed items up for auction.

IADT San Antonio honors Michael Jackson

Here I am on the Red Carpet at the Museo Alameda, where the fashion show took place, with Cynthia Rangel, Program Chair Fashion Design and Marketing for IADT
A few weeks ago I attended a wonderful fashion show honoring Michael Jackson. The students and graduates of IADT were given a chance to design outfits honoring the career of Michael Jackson. I was happy to be able to get a front row runway seat along with my best friend, Kim Carman and her little girl, Katie. The latter just watched the beautiful models, eyes wide open! It was a very impressive production and,once again, I commend IADT for continuously giving their students and graduates venues to feature their talents. Btw, I will be a Speaker at IADT this Friday, October 9th on "Career Day," one of the MANY SA Fashion week events taking place this week. Check out www.fashionweeksa.com. and thanks so much to all who nominated me for San Antonio Fashion Advocate. I'm one of the finalists!!

TV Host for US Health Department DVD

Over the summer, I was so fortunate to get picked to be the "Host" for a wonderful informative DVD put out by the US Department of Health. It will be handed out to all patients of the WIC clinics throughout the United States. Thanks to my parents helping to not forget my native Spanish, I was also picked to do the version in Spanish. I have to give a special thanks to an amazing lady, who also directed me in the leading role for her upcoming indie dark comedy....details to follow soon! Raina James, thank you so much for recommending me for this and also a co-star of that same film Amanda Hovis.
For 3 weeks we toiled filming this in the outskirts of Austin. Kudos also to the whole production team at AMS, the Producer, "my girl" Kelly Kaelin, for putting on an impeccable production in spite of parts of fingers getting cut off and new languages being created..words such as "flustrated!"..you had to be there! Also, thanks to the Director of this production "El Jefe," Dale Sindt. Jefe...I just took a shower, btw, so I'm clean all over! Again, you had to be there..lol. I had a blast...thanks to EVERYONE for puttin' up with all my silly jokes! I hope to get a chance to work with all of you in the near future. To anyone reading this, please, visit a WIC clinic, if only to pick up your FABULOUS DVD! lol!

Longhorn Live Blood drive for University Hospital, San Antonio 09

Signing an autograph for one of the donors. Happy viewers were fans ..wish they had been my Tribe:(

From left to right, The Coach of the Incarnate Word football team, a couple of the players, Nicholas and Johnny Walker.
A few weeks ago, Longhorn Gene, Host of the Sports talk Radio Show, Longhorn Live on KLUP 930am, asked me to come and sign autographs for those donating blood. I jumped at the chance to do anything to help this cause. I, currently, have 2 dear girlfriends, one, a childhood friend, Diedra and the other, a TRUE Survivor, also a fellow Castway from the Reality Show Survivor, Jennifer Lyon, battling breast cancer in their bones. I had just gotten off the phone with Diedra who had just received a blood transfusion, without which, she told me, she could NOT survive this battle. I'm thrilled to say we went past our goal of 100 donors!
Here are some images from the event which, locally, was inspired by a little boy, Nicholas, and his family, survivors of what could have been a fatal car accident. Thank God they Survived.

Road Trip: from the Amazing Studios of HSN, Tampa to the Red Carpet Miami Florida!

I recently joined the team of On-Air Spokespeople on HSN (formerly known as The Home Shopping Network) It is an AMAZING oppornity which is best described by the articles written by the Entertainment News Reporters, Jeanne Jakle, SA Express News and Melissa Renteria, Connexion Magazine, San Antonio.

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Recommend 0 Jeanne Jakle - Jeanne Jakle: San Antonio's Rita Verreos has had a few TV nibbles since her big break on CBS' "Survivor" more than two years ago, but nothing substantial seemed to come her way ... until now.

The pretty, divorced mom of two is thrilled to finally see results from that exposure: She has signed a contract with cable channel HSN, also known as the Home Shopping Network, to appear as a recurring guest host.

Verreos is set to debut Wednesday -- live at 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. on HSN (Time Warner Cable Channel 43). She will be presenting the high-end line of Mariposa handbags from Sharif Designs.

"Apparently, hundreds had applied (for the post), including prominent news anchors struggling in this current economy," Verreos wrote in an e-mail before leaving Monday to catch a plane to Tampa, Fla., HSN's home base.

"One of the show hosts I'll be appearing with -- Robin Wall -- also started out at HSN as a spokesperson/guest host, so I suppose this is the path that leads to becoming a host on a network that reaches 88 million viewers!"

Since she was voted off the island on "Survivor: Fiji," Verreos, 41, has had a couple of tries as fill-in traffic reporter on KENS and other brief TV shots that didn't amount to much. After her gig as an H-E-B Plus! spokeswoman on Great Day SA, the former model and beauty queen had hoped to eventually land a post on the KENS lifestyle show. It never happened.

She continued to model locally and coach Miss California USA pageant contestants to support her family but held on to her aspirations of a career as a TV Host/Anchor.

Thanks to an S.A. couple she calls her "guardian angels" -- Norman and Monica Wright -- whom she had a fortuitous encounter with at her son's football game, she got the chance she was waiting for. She said Wright kindly told her, "I'd like to put your demo reel in the hands of the on-air talent director at the company I previously worked for: HSN."

Though former TV appearances helped prepare her for the national opportunity, she believes Survivor remains her biggest launch pad. An eternal optimist, Verreos said it's helped to remember that it also took another Survivor alumna, Elizabeth Hasselbeck (then Elizabeth Filarski), a few years to get her big break on The View.

Though I'd hesitate to compare HSN to "The View," it's heartening to see such a determined hard worker like Verreos get a step closer to her TV dream job.


Last month, I received an email from a long-lost Venezuelan friend, Miguel Sierralta. His company was celebrating it's 15 year Anniversary in South Beach, Florida. I was lucky to have been in Tampa those very same days, filming my shows for HSN so I decided to make it a road trip of sorts. I started off with a stop in Naples, to visit a couple of my "Survivor" friends. Cindy Hall and Ace Gordon, from Survivor Tocantins. Here we are celebrating Ace's birthday. No, you're not seeing double..that's Cindy's twin sister, Mindy, whom you may recognize as the 1st Runner Up on the Reality Show, Rock of Love.
Cindy Hall, one of the finalists from Survivor Guatemala was very generous and allowed me to stay with her on a beautiful Horse Ranch where she lives! It's an AMAZINGLY beautiful place. Cindy's an animal lover, to say the least, just like my little girl and I felt really blessed to meet her two adorable horses, the gentle Katie Horse and the Feisty Maggie. My favorite part of the day was the end of the day when we would go and feed them and clean their stables.


After this wonderful visit with Cindy and her sweet animals, I arrived in Miami where I reunited with my long-lost friend (we hadn't seen each other since he came to my Red Carpet Premiere of the movie I was in in 1991, "Market For Death!" Here I am on the Red Carpet of "Miguel Sierralta Productions," 15 year Anniversary.

Emcee for IADT/CFF "Diamonds Are Forever" Fashion Show 09

I was so happy to get to Emcee another event benefitting Cystic Fibrosis and involving IADT. It turned out to be a muggy, but wonderful night at the W's ALOFT Hotel in San Antonio Texas. Mr. Hugh Farr, Director of the Lone Star Chapter of CFF was in attendance. I'm so grateful to him for the opportunity he gives me to help CFF by inviting me to Emcee their events. Thank you also to Jolissa and Stephen of Top Knotch Productions for, well, putting together such a Top Notch Fashion show. The models really worked the runway!

Emcee, "Diamonds Are Forever" IADT Fashion Show

I was so happy to get to Emcee another event benefitting Cystic Fibrosis and involving IADT. It turned out to be a muggy, but wonderful night at the W's ALOFT Hotel in San Antonio Texas. Mr. Hugh Farr, Director of the Lone Star Chapter of CFF was in attendance. I'm so grateful to him for the opportunity he gives me to help CFF by inviting me to Emcee their events. Thank you also to Jolissa and Stephen of Top Knotch Productions for, well, putting together such a Top Notch Fashion show. The models really worked the runway!

My Bilingual TV Host Demo Reel

Rita Verreos Promo Reel by Paul Galvan.

I was contacted by a model I had met an an audition a couple of years ago, Paul Galvan. I was very lucky that he remembered me because, it turns out he's also an extremely talented Producer/Director and Editor. He contacted me and asked if I would be interested in having him produce a Demo Reel for me. I recommend Paul highly as he was extremely accomodating and just a pleasure to work with. I've worked with several "editors" and it's my work with them that has kept me from complaining of how I was "edited" on SURVIVOR FIJI. There's sooo much materail to go through and it's really so very hard to choose and then, somehow, tied everything together. I think Paul did a GREAT job, I hope you agree.
Read More

Conexion Magazine, May 09

On May 12th, this year, my mother's 75th bday wish was to go to a taping of her favorite TV show (next to Project Runway and SURVIVOR, of course!), The Price Is Right. So, off we went to LA..we had a trip from H---! Got one hour sleep and then went of to a was a very familiar, almost Post Traumatic familiar..ha, ha, CBS studios. That's where I was taken when "kidnapped" to become a Castaway on SURVIVOR. This time, however, I was way more relaxed because I was just gonna go and have fun w/my mother, as part of the audience....or so I thought. When that familiar "da, da, da, da...da, da, da, da..." that's my attempt at writing out the melody of the Price is Right theme song! Anyhow, that's playing when I hear the Announcer call out the first contestant: "What the heck?"....did he just say "Rita Verreos!" Yes, he did! OMG...I went crazy!! I couldn't believe it. Next thing I know, there I was, on Contestant's Row. After a couple of failed bids...ding, ding, ding, goes my little light confirming that I had won the pass on stage! I went completely ballistic on Drew. If you don't believe me...Search The Price Is Right and a clip that made it on TMZ!! will confirm just how passionate, Latin women can be! lol. I caused much more of an impression on The Price Is Right, than I did on SURVIVOR FIJI...oh yeah, I forgot, I had NO energy on Survivor due to the 15 days of dehydration and starvation. My excited reaction to winning some prizes caught the eye of "You Tube" and even a call from Inside Edition. Above is a small mention I gt this small mention in the local bilingual newspaper:)

The First ever SA Fashion week approaches!

My brother, Nick Verreos, instilled in me a love, admiration and respect for fashion. I remember in High School, year after year, Nick got "Best Dressed." I was sooo far from best dressed, in fact, I remember myself as an Ugly duckling and I remember Nick embarrassed of me:(. Thanks to how much I love and admire my big brother, I payed close attention. I grew out of the ugly duckling and develop my own signature style..well, not so own as the signature has NIKOLAKI (my brother's line's name) written all over it..lol. A few weeks ago, IADT, (Nick & I at the IADT Imagine Fashion Show 09) a fashion school for which my brother is a National Spokesperson, invited me to attend a board meeting. At this meeting I met one of the Directors of FGI here in San Antonio, Priscilla Martinez. At a follow up meeting, she honored me inviting me to serve as Moderator for the below described event. I hope all who can, do attend and help us put San Antonio on the Fashion map along with NY, Paris and LA!

Fashion Group Int'l of San Antonio has an exciting panel discussion program entitled "Creative Marketing in a Roller Coaster Economy", part of our Dollar$ & Fashion Cents Panel Series, scheduled for July 1 at Aloft, a lifestyle hotel from the Starwood W Hotel Group, at 838 NW Loop 410 & Blanco at 6pm.

Tickets are $15 members, $25 non members and $5 students. Includes appetizers and one beverage from the Wxyz bar. Space is limited! Reserve now........!

And now you can pay with PayPal! Scroll down to find the links.



Sincerely,

Priscilla Martinez
Programs Co-Chair
Fran Stamper
Programs Co-Chair

Got a question? Need an answer?
Our panelists want your questions...!
Be a part of this interactive panel discussion. Submit your question you would like to have anwswered by our expert panelists. Some questions already submitted include:

1) what kind of marketing do we need to focus on to capture peoples attention in these tough times?
2) How should advertisers combat theuse of TiVo and
the DVR?
3) what is the most effective way to target women from a digital perspective?
4) what is an effective way for people in the fashion industry to use Twitter, Facebook, etc?

Got a question? Submit them to pmartinez@joyarte.com by Friday , June 26th. Hear the answers at our panel......

Creative Marketing in a Roller Coaster Economy
Business of Fashion - Dollar$ & Fashion Cents Panel Series


Our moderator:
Rita Verreos, Rita Verreos began her career as a beauty queen for the Miss Venezuela pageant, a model and actress which led her to work as the official coach for the Miss California pageant. It was there that the casting director for the CBS reality show "Survivor" spotted her and became San Antonio's only participant.
Alongside her TV appearances, she has been asked to emcee local and national events such as the Hispanic Heritage Awards, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Ovations for the Cure in Boston, and The City of Hope in Orange County. As a TV host, her work includes Telemundo's "En Nuestro Hogar", HEB Plus! TV Spokesperson on "Great Day SA" traffic reports for KENS TV 5 morning news, and co-host of CW's Latin Fusion TV. Film work includes a role in Steven Seagal's "Marked for Death" and a recent starring role in the independant film, "Just Murdered". Rita holds a BA in French and Italian Literatures from UCLA where she graduated magna cum laude.



Where & When
Aloft Hotel,
July 1, 2009
6p-8p

Tickets
Includes appetizers and one beverage from the Wxyz bar.

Tickets can be purchased in advance with PayPal.

Reservations recommended as seating is limited!


Member Price: $15 Non Member Price $25 Students with ID: $5



The Fashion Group International is a global, non-profit, professional
organization with 5000 members in the fashion industry including
apparel, accessories, beauty and home.

The FGI mission is to be the pre-eminent authority on the business
of fashion and design and to help its members become more effective
in their careers. To do this, FGI provides insights on major trends
in person, online and in print; access to business professionals and a
gateway to the influence fashion plays in the marketplace.



Fashion Group International of San Antonio
http://sanantonio.fgi.org
fgisanantonio@gmail.com



Fashion Week SA 2009
is
coming...!
Oct 6-9 What to know more? Want to be involved? Make plans to join a committee and be a part of an unforgettable gem of a week of celebrating fashionin San Antonio!

We would like to follow in the formidable footsteps of cities like Austin, Cleveland, Dallas, and of course, New York, who have created similar city wide events that enhance their public awareness, image and involvement of fashion in the local community as well as the national map. If they can achieve that, certainly San Antonio can too! Our beautiful city, known for its charm and hospitality, also deserves to be known as fashionably dressed!

Our scheduled outline includes some fabulous runway shows, special awards presentations, design competitions, intriguing industry tours, hands-on workshops, informative seminars, fanciful exhibits and festive meet-n-greet parties planned.
We welcome the generosity of interested sponsors, that as a partner with Fashion Group Int'l , we will be able to accomplish this reachable goal of a grand Fashion Week San Antonio. In kind services are also welcome and all In-kind donors will be prominently recognized in the Event Programs.

For more information, sponsorship packages or to join a committee, contact :
Priscilla Martinez 210.363.1891. pmartinez@joyarte.com.
www.fashionweeksa.com



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Grand Opening of New Hamburger Joint in San Antonio

Here I am, so happy to have my beautiful little girl helping me to "smash!"
Mason PR invited me to be a part of the Official Grand Opening of SMASHBURGER. They asked me to create my own signature "Survivor Rita" Hamburger:) These hamburgers are really the juciest hamburgers that I've EVER tasted...soooo good. I also tried their seasoned and veggie fries. Everything was truly delicious. My whole family, except my brother, who btw, would LOVE these hamburgers, came with me. We had a GREAT time. I'm workin' on uploading the video I took that day. Unfortunately, I erased it from my camera and my computer won't read DVD's:(

with Red Mc Comb's, May 09

At the Tommy Nobis Kick Off Rally held at Jefferson High School, San Antonio, I ran into a wonderful man, Mr. Red McCombs. He is an ICON of San Antonio and, therefore, it's always such a pleasure and honor to run into him. Every time I run into him, he fills me with more energy to keep on the road that I am on as he tells me how proud he was of my participation on SURVIVOR FIJI and how I handled myself. Making Red proud is like making my own father proud. Red is very sweet to let me know that he's followed my "career" since being on SURVIVOR and how very proud he continues to be of the work I continue to do, both for the community and for my career as a tv host. Thank you so much, Red. As I already wrote, it's always an honor and a pleasure to be in your presence!

Autograph Signing for the Boys & Girls Club, 09

When my season of Survivor aired, I received an invitation to throw the first pitch for the local baseball team, The San Antonio Missions. Now, I've always been a super active mommie, constantly participating in playing sports with my very athletic son. I'd played baseball with my son and his friends many times so I thought, piece of cake! My son was very excited that his mommie was going to throw the first pitch so he rounded up a few of his buddied and out we went to practice. What I got was a broken garage door panel and the realization that I really sucked at pitching! lol. My little boy's excitement soon turned into the relizatoin that he might be embarrassed by his mommie so, to my disappointment, my son came up with some excuse not to go to the game. As it turns out, I did GREAT! I threw the pitch right down the middle. I did have a video of this, but the camcorder with this video was stolen at the Happiest place on earth, Disneyland:) From what I understand, the girl who was videotaping my pitch, Lisa Martin of Creative Civilization, told me the baseball players were whistling and saying things like "we don't really care how Rita pitches as long as she looks like that." Wow!! Actually, I admit, I was really nervous about not pitching well so I did have another "strategy" and that was, indeed, tryting to distract a bit weraing a cute outfit..lol. Alrighty, this LONG story was the intro to how I got this invite to do an autograph signing at the Quarry Cinema in San Antonio. When I finished pitching, the Mission's mascot, The Ballapeno came running up to me with a photo of me on Survivor. Turns out I was so lucky, he was a huge fan of the show. Also, even luckier for me, Wesley (the Ballapeno), is a Mananger at the Quarry Cinema. He asked me to help him raise funds for the Boys and Girls Club of America. Of course I accepted! Here are some images from that day. I had so much fun especially because I was able to share the day with my daughter and her girlfriends. Afterwards, Wesley generously treated us to the movies. We saw the tearjerker...yes, I have officially turned into my mother!..UP.

World Car KIA and HYUNDAI Spokesperson bi-lingual Radio VO's

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