The Brooklyn-based Caribbean American Cultural Group, Inc. (CACG) hosted its 5th Annual Holiday Fundraising Gala on Saturday, Dec. 6, at Naomi Suite on Avenue D in Canarsie, Brooklyn.
The event aimed to support the upcoming 2026 Community Cultural Pageant contestants through personal development and scholarships.
“By all accounts, the gala was a success, leaving guests with a memorable evening,” CACG President and Founder, Vincentian-born Yvonne Peters, told Caribbean Life.
“The Caribbean American Cultural Group is a community-based organization that works with young people within our communities on their cultural, educational, and physical development,” she added.
CACG Vincentian-born Director Adonna Lewis Dudley, who served as Mistress of Ceremonies, said that the pageant took a hiatus in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re now recruiting young ladies between 18 and 25,” she said. “We need the contestants.
“We’ve been doing this for over 20 years,” she added. “We look forward to being bigger and better. We need your support to be better and bigger.”
During the gala, past and 2026 prospective contestants shared their backgrounds and experiences, offering inspiration to future candidates for the 2026 Miss New York Continental Cultural pageant.
Reigning Queen, Miss St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Kayla Mcletchie addresses the gala. Photo by Nelson A. King
The ceremony featured remarks from reigning Queen Miss St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Kayla Mcletchie, and past contestant Haitian-born Valandia Sunshine DeFontus.
DeFontus, a singer and model, captivated attendees with her rendition of “What a Wonderful World,” originally recorded in 1967 by jazz legend Louis Armstrong.
“What a Wonderful World,” written by George David Weiss and Bob Thiele, became Armstrong’s stellar hit.
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Haitian-born Valandia Sunshine DeFontus sings, to rave reviews, “What a Wonderful World.”Photo by Nelson A. King
Makeda Sharell Peters, 2018 1st Runner-Up as Miss St. Vincent and the Grenadines, performed a dance to “Glory to the Lord” and received enthusiastic applause at the gala.
Prospective contestants present included Miss Puerto Rico, DeAsia Samuels; Miss Belize, Alexis Colliard; Miss St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Jaria Fraser; and Miss Guyana, Otavia Grimes.
CACG members also modeled their outfits, competing in the “Best Gala Fad.”
Makeda Sharell Peters – who competed as Miss St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the 2018 Miss New York Continental Cultural Pageant, earning 1st Runner-Up – dances to “Glory to the Lord.” Photo by Nelson A. King
Tyler Ulysse, Peters’ granddaughter of Vincentian and Haitian parentage, won the “Best Gala Fad” as voted by attendees.
To commemorate the 12 days of Christmas, 12 bottles of wine were gifted to selected guests during the event.
Since May 2010, Peters said CACG has hosted the Miss New York Continental Cultural Pageant for young women between the ages of 18 and 25 in Brooklyn and the surrounding boroughs, “with the specific purpose of developing them to become positive role models and change agents in their communities.
“This is accomplished through various types of empowerment training, including but not limited to, personality development, confidence and leadership building, grace and poise coaching, effective communication skills, and modeling,” she said.
“CACG is staffed solely by a group of dedicated volunteers, and our efforts and events are funded exclusively by the generosity of local businesses and individuals from our community,” Peters added.
She said the gala ended with “good vibes, good food, good music, and dancing.”
Peters said young ladies between the ages of 18 and 25 in the five boroughs of New York City can compete in the 2026 Cultural Pageant.
She said contestants can also represent countries of their parents’ birth.
For more information, prospective contestants can call Peters at (917) 592-2788 or Lewis Dudley at (917) 902-2830.
