WPLG reporter and anchor Jenise Fernandez will bring the glow of celebrity to the annual Dream Date Auction, a fundraiser for Make-A-Wish Southern Florida on Friday night at Sway Nightclub in downtown Fort Lauderdale.
Witty, down-to-earth and possessed of an easy laugh, the Florida International University graduate is also a former Miss Miami and a Top 5 finisher in the Miss Florida pageant. Plenty to like there, and you have the cash to outbid those other guys, right? But how do we convince her to be interested in a schlub like you?
I called Fernandez at the station and came away with some information you can use to get to her heart, and maybe a second date.
She’s a talker, and loves the Dolphins, the Heat and her American Eskimo dog. You may be able to get her to dish a little on what goes on behind the scenes at the station. (WPLG goddess Laurie Jennings has a major sweet tooth? No way.)
She’s a cheese freak. Don’t get her started on the “incredible” tortellini at Via Emilia 9 in Miami Beach or the queso dip at Paquito’s Mexican Restaurant in North Miami Beach.
“I eat like a linebacker,” Fernandez says, laughing.
OK, a linebacker who walked the stage on 4-inch heels in a bikini on live television as a Miss Florida contestant in 2010, a pageant, part of the Miss America organization, that helped her leave FIU with a degree in journalism and no student loan to pay off.
What many people don’t know about the pageant, Fernandez says, is that every contestant undergoes a rigorous, 10-minute interview with five judges firing questions about current events and social issues.
“They want to know who you are and that you can take a stand on certain things,” Fernandez says. “Preparing for that interview was like nothing I’d ever prepared for in my life.”
Fernandez says the experience helped to set her up for a professional life asking questions. We’re not saying that you need to study for your date with Fernandez, but she admits to being more attracted to guys who can take a stand on things. Wait, maybe you do need to study for your date.
“I can talk about anything, but … I value intelligence,” Fernandez says. “So if we’re sitting at a date, and you can’t really tell me about the growing tensions between the United States and North Korea, I’m not sure we’re going to go on a second date.
“You don’t need to be an expert. You don’t have to name all the leaders in the G7. I’m not going to drill you,” she says, laughing. “But it would be nice if you can at least have a dialogue about what’s going on. If not, we’ll have to switch over to talk about movies and music, which is fine, too. But intelligence is something I really value.”
The annual Dream Date Auction, hosted by Ross B of Rock With U Entertainment and the Miami Heat’s in-arena host Uptown Dale, will feature 20 local singles making their affections, for one night at least, available to the highest bidder.
Make-A-Wish Southern Florida generates most of its funding through corporate sponsors, individual donations and events catering to an older demographic, and the auction is an opportunity to reach a younger crowd, Make-A-Wish spokesman Richard Kelly says.
“It’s a lot of fun, and at the end of the night, you’ve had a good time and done good. You’ve done good for other people,” Kelly says.
All proceeds from the auction go to Make-A-Wish’s effort to fulfill the dreams of South Florida children with life-threatening medical conditions. The wishes, which the nonprofit grants every 16 hours at an average of $5,000 each, can range from trips and celebrity meet-ups to more complicated creations.
Last year, a West Palm Beach 6-year-old, Brady, told Make-A-Wish he wanted to be a Jedi Knight. Make-A-Wish rallied a couple of hundred “Star Wars” fans, a Chewbacca, R2-D2 and a local brigade of costumed Storm Troopers at CityPlace, where Brady took part in a knighting ceremony and light-saber training before he got word that Darth Vader was taking over the city.
“It allowed Brady to save West Palm Beach,” Kelly says. “It was a theater production in and of itself. Sometimes, people get creative with their wishes, and we try to out-creative them.”
Make-A-Wish Southern Florida’s Dream Date Auction will take place 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18, at Sway Nightclub, 111 SW Second Ave, in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets cost $30 in advance, $35 at the door (tickets include two free drinks), $75 VIP (open bar and lounge access). Call 888-773-9474 or go to DreamDateAuction.net and SFla.wish.org.
@font-face {
font-family: Georgia,Arial,sans-serif;
font-weight:normal;
font-style:normal;
}
.galleries:after {
content: ”;
display: block;
background-color: #008EC2;
margin: 16px auto 0;
height: 5px;
width: 100px;
}
.galleries:before {
content: “More Best of South Florida Videos”;
display: block;
font: 700 23px/25px Georgia,Arial,sans-serif;
text-align: center;
color: #1e1e1e;
}
#subscribe-box {
background: #2E4254;
padding: 25px;
margin-bottom: 20px;
position: relative;
height: 300px;
}
#subscribe-box .inner {
position: absolute;
width: 80%;
left: 50%;
top: 50%;
transform: translate(-50%, -50%);
}
#subscribe-box a {
text-decoration: none;
}
#subscribe-box p {
color: #fff;
font: 300 16px/20px Arial,sans-serif;
}
#subscribe-box p.prompt {
font: 300 18px/22px Arial,sans-serif;
}
#subscribe-box p.title {
font-size: 30px;
font: 700 23px/25px Georgia,Arial,sans-serif;
}
#subscribe-box .link {
width: 150px;
background: #FF5443;
border-radius: 6px;
}
#subscribe-box .link p {
padding: 15px;
font-size: 18px;
font-weight: bold;
color: #fff;
font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
text-align: center;
}
@media (max-width: 600px){
.desktop-text {
display: none;
}
}
