The Brazilian Summer Beauty Pageant is an annual beauty contest celebrating women of Brazilian decent and women who have been influenced by the Brazilian culture. The goals of the pageant are to promote Brazilian culture in the US and to raise awareness to the world of the difficulties faced by children in Brazil and to raise funds for specific charities that directly help the children in Brazil.
Valeria Ruggieri, a Brazilian native and Founder of RioBela Productions and Brazilian Summer Beauty, has teamed up with a few prominent members of the Brazilian-American community (Board of Directors) to help bring to light the problems faced by the children living in Brazil, through an evening of fun. The beauty pageant is the centerpiece for the event, but the evening is filled with live Brazilian music featuring some of the finest Brazilian musicians in the United States, an authentic Samba Show with beautiful Samba Dancers and Drummers, Brazilian food, and various other dance and performance artists. Funds raised by the Pageant will be donated directly to a charitable organization. The Board of Directors chose a different organization in need each year.
The Pageant is in its 4th year and the event has continued to grow steadily each year. The idea is to help and support a different organization in Brazil each year. The first three years the pageant directly helped children in Brazil through Casa do Caminho, World Vision & Self Enlightenment Institute.
This year the Brazilian Summer Beauty Pageant is proud to donate all proceeds from the event to Heifer International to continue their work in Brazil and around the world. For additional information on Heifer International's beautiful work, please visit www.heifer.org
The Brazilian Community working together makes this event work!
Brazilian Summer Beauty©
-Beauty Saving Children-
Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.
John Whitehead
For additional information please contact:
Valeria Ruggieri, Founder/CEO
RioBela Productions
PH (562) 221-8861 FAX (562) 206-2498
www.braziliansummerbeauty.com OR www.riobela.com
CEO/Founder, Brazilian Summer Beauty Pageant & RioBela Productions, CEO/Co-owner New Leaf Staffing, Inc.
Valeria Ruggieri, native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is the CEO and founder of the Brazilian Summer Beauty Pageant. She began the pageant with the goal of raising awareness to the world of the hardships faced by the women and children of Brazil through a beautiful evening celebrating the beauty of women of Brazilian descent and women who have been influenced by Brazilian culture, with the result of raising money to be donated directly to groups with projects in Brazil.
She is also a successful businesswoman, being the CEO and co-owner of New Leaf Staffing, Inc., a healthcare staffing company in Long Beach, CA and the Sole Proprietor of RioBela Productions, a Brazilian themed events planning and Production Company. She is also the Vice President, Madrinha da Bateria (Godmother of the Drums) and choreographer for Sambala Samba School. She has appeared in and been involved in production of many high profile events including, Instructor on Dancing with the Stars, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards with Will Smith, Latin Grammy Awards, Rose Bowl Parade (Jack in the Box Float), Long Beach Brazilian Carnaval and Carnaval Ball.
Business Owner/Singer-Songwriter and Recording Artist.
Michael Ruggieri is the President/Co-owner of New Leaf Staffing, Inc., a Healthcare staffing company founded in Long Beach, CA in 2007 and a singer/songwriter who has played all over Southern California in support of his 2005 full length CD, Survive. As a percussionist and member of Sambala Samba School he has played at numerous high profile events, including the 2010 Tournament of Roses Parade and opening the show for international recording stars Kamran and Hooman at the Universal Amphitheater.
Becoming a member of the Board of Directors for the Brazilian Summer Beauty Pageant, which was founded by his wife and CEO, Valeria Ruggieri, has given Michael the avenue to find what was the only thing missing in his life; giving back and realizing that there is much more to be gained spiritually by helping those souls who are much less fortunate than ourselves.
As a dancer, teacher and choreographer -- Samba, Salsa, Afro-Cuban, Afro-Brazilian; Voice Actress and Vocalist (lead and background), Jeane July has worked on National, Broadway and International stages as an entertainer.
Because of her love for dance, it has led Jeane to teach at various studios in the Los Angeles area. She accepted an opportunity to teach at The Royal London Academy's Summer Dance Program at Cal State Long Beach. Her "Brazilian Samba Workout" was featured on the HD Live Well Network "Mirror/Mirror".
Jeane's particular passion for the Brazilian culture has opened opportunities for her in Los Angeles. She has performed on stage at the Ford Theatre with Diogo Nogueira and Olodum. She is a 2010 Princesa of the Bateria (Drums) for SambaLA Samba School of Long Beach and a member of Samba4U Bloco. She is also the founder and choreographer for the groups "Diaspora" and "Samba Samba".
She is currently the reigning Princesa Segunda for SambaLA Samba School of Long Beach.
Beach.
Director / Producer / Best Selling Inspirational Author / Award Winning Poet / Philanthropist
Touching the hearts of humanity Rich Bella brings thoughts to life through his various forms of art such as music, film, writings, and performances. Rich Bella has been apart of Earth Hour, Live H2O, Leaders Causing Leaders, as well as 2 different projects with the youth raising money for other youth to have food, water, and schools in different parts of the globe. All the projects support a sustainable earth.
www.RichBella.com
Geo is an L.A. based graphic designer and illustrator. He creates art using traditional and digital media. His clientele includes a diverse array of businesses and organizations, both large and small. Geo designs numerous packaging, logos and production art for U.S. companies as well as designs for Brazilian live entertainment.
Geo’s contributions within the Brazilian community include logo and diverse collateral design work for Brasilidade Samba & Pagode Show, UNICA Samba School, Rio Bela Productions, Ma7 Designs, Samba4U, Samba n’ Motion, Copacabana Samba Show, Brazil TV, Tricolor Productions, Casa do Samba, Raiz Brazil and logo & flyer designs for the 2011 Brazilian Summer Beauty Pageant.
Web Master Ana Massette received a design scholarship from Santa Monica College, graduating with a A.A. in Web Technology. Recently enrolled at UCLA pursuing a B.A. degree in Design Media Arts. Born in Maranhao, Brazil, she moved to Los Angeles in 2007 and since then has been involved in many projects, including opening a retail store in Burbank, Magnolia Commons, launching her own production company, MA7 Productions, a design company, MA7 Designs, an online resale store under that same name and also sits on the Board of Directors for the Brazilian Summer Beauty Pageant.
Heifer International
Thank you so much for choosing Heifer International to be the charity recipient of your Brazilian Summer Beauty Pageant event! We are honored to be a part of this creative and joyful evening that celebrates the warm people and culture of Brazil.
Since 1944, Heifer has helped more than 13.6 million families in more than 125 countries, including Brazil, to move toward greater self-reliance through the gift of livestock and training in environmentally sound agriculture. Recipients also agree to Pass on the Gift of their animals first female offspring to another family in need, widening the circle of hope.
Heifer currently has 23 different projects in Brazil with the goal of achieving food and water security and increasing income for rural families. These projects span the country in such areas as Paraiba, Agreste, Cariri, Sobradinho, Baixo Sul, Pernambuca, Parana, Ribe and others.
This wonderful Brazilian Summer Beauty Pageant will not only give us an enchanted evening of celebrating the culture of Brazil, but will also give families in Brazil a chance for a better life and the opportunity for a way out of poverty and need.
We send our warmest thanks to everyone involved in this wonderful event. Together we can create a brighter future for the people of Brazil and ensure that someday every family in Brazil will have the basic securities of food, water, shelter and work.
Blessings and Thanks,
Holly Derheim
Director of Philanthropy, Western Region
CEO Letter for Brazilian Summer Beauty Event.pdf
Corporate Sponsorship Package3- PDF.pdf
press_kit2.pdf
