Gabrielle Walcott (TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO 2011)

well, she is nice, but still can not say that she would be any special...

Friday, November 14th 2008 (T&T Express)
Miss World $$ woes
Elias seeking $300,000 more for T&T rep (about US$45,000 before tax)
Kristy Ramnarine [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

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Miss World T&T Gabrielle Walcott will leave for South Africa today to prepare for the 2008 Miss World competition, although the Trinidad and Tobago Pageant Company is still short by approximately $300,000 to cover her expenses.

Pageant Company director Peter Elias told the Express yesterday that he had no choice but to make alternative arrangements after the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs failed to uphold its promise of assisting Walcott for the event.

He said it costs between $350,000 to $400,000 to prepare one delegate for a competition. Minister of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs, Marlene Mc Donald, he added, had assured her support to them earlier this year.

"I met with the minister in May at a dinner which was attended by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Earl Nesbitt, Brian Lara, reigning Miss World Zi Ling Zhang and former Miss World Giselle La Ronde West and others. The minister gave her assurance of support," Elias said.

"Tell me what does that mean? We didn't go to Miss Universe in 2007 and the only reason I'm back in it is because I was promised support."

Walcott was crowned Miss Trinidad and Tobago World in February at the Zen nightclub in Port of Spain. Anya Ayoung-Chee was also crowned Miss Trinidad and Tobago Universe at the same pageant, and went on to compete at the Miss Universe 2008 in Vietnam.

The Miss World 2008 event was supposed to take place in Kiev, Ukraine, in November. However, the pageant was rescheduled to December 13 with South African as the new venue.

Elias said he had in fact received two payments from the ministry since Mc Donald's promise, but this was used to fund the competition expenses of two former pageant delegates-Valene Maharaj and Ayoung Chee-and the early preparation of Walcott.

"We received a payment of $100,000 in June, one day before our delegate (Ayoung Chee) left to compete and we received a second payment of $100,000 in late August," he said.

"Since February, I've been calling to find about the rest of the money but we are not getting any correspondence or information from the ministry. After not being able to get money from the ministry we approached the Sports and Culture Fund of the Office of the Prime Minister and we received $280,000 in July."

A frustrated Elias, who has been in this position before, added: "I was asked if the ministry trusts me. I have every bill from this year and from past years of working on the pageant.

"I'm not doing this for me. It's about promoting the country. If this type of promotion is not important to Trinidad and Tobago let the team know. With that type of money the return of this investment could be a windfall, in other words if we do well it could be a jackpot."

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HEALTHY LAUGH: Health Minister Jerry Narace (seated right) laughs heartily with (from left) TT representative at Miss Universe 2008 Gabrielle Walcott and entertainer Nikki Crosby, at the opening of the JBF Paediatric Specialty Unit, Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope yesterday.
Author: ROGER JACOB
Source: T&T Newsday

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Source: T&T Express (Sat 16th Nov., 2008)

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Thanks pageantboi for the scan!

triniusacutie wrote:[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I THINK SHE´S SEXY AND SHE´S GOT A BEAUTIFUL SMILE!!!!

pics from the set of rupee's tempted to touch video where she is featured
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2010 carnival
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with her sisters
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caribbean's 1st vogue issue
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