Karina Brez, the 24-year-old gemologist from Wellington, was crowned Miss Florida 2012 tonight at Davie’s Bailey Concert Hall. A Ukranian immigrant whose parents brought her to this country for a better future, the Dreyfoos School for the Arts graduate and Miss South Florida will represent the state next year in the Miss USA pageant, organized by another Palm Beach County personality – Donald Trump.

To read more about Karina’s journey, click here.

America may have talent, but Palm Beach Post readers seem to have a talent for having seriously fun claims to fame. In the past few years, we’ve been contacted by your neighbors who have had random brushes with the spotlight that you’d never know about, like the art director who oversaw Burt Reynolds’ infamous bear rug shot for “Cosmopolitan” and a guy whose knee graces the cover of the “Woodstock” album.

We’re intrigued, and we’re sure that there’s more out there. So, tell us: Were you featured in a Kool cigarette billboard in the ’80s? A member of Menudo? An extra in “Grease”? A former Mouseketeer or “American Bandstand” dancer? Or maybe a groovy traveler down the “Soul Train” line? (My Afro was once featured over Sam Waterston’s shoulder on an episode of “Law and Order.” I’m so proud.)

If so, we’d like to know about it! Please email your stories to “Random Stroke of Fame” care of leslie_streeter@pbpost.com.

pbpulse.com
Social Media Contests

OFFICIAL RULES

1. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR TO WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

2. Eligibility. Subject to the additional restrictions below, pbpulse.com social media contests (“Contest” or “Contests”) are open to residents of Palm Beach, Broward, Martin, Indian River, St. Lucie, Okeechobee and Hendry counties in Florida who are 13 years or older at the time of entry and have an account with Twitter, Facebook, or other social media site where the Contest is being conducted. Employees of Palm Beach Newspapers, Inc. (“Sponsor”) and each of its respective affiliated companies, and advertising and promotional agencies, and the immediate family members of, and any persons domiciled with, any such employees, are not eligible to enter or to win. For purposes of the Sweepstakes, the term “immediate family members” includes spouses, parents, grandparents, siblings, children, and grandchildren.

3. How To Enter. Contests begin and end as stated in a message posted by pbpulse.com on a social media site. Enter by finding and/or following us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/pbpulse) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/pbpulse) and following all posted Contest instructions. Typically, the winner will be the first person to correctly answer a trivia question, the first person to respond as directed, or the writer of our favorite entry. Enter as often as you like provided that multiple entries by means of software-generated or other automated processes will be disregarded. Sponsor will not be responsible for incomplete, lost, late, misdirected or illegible entries or for failure to receive entries due to transmission failures or technical failures of any kind, including, without limitation, the malfunction of any communications network, web site, equipment, or computer hardware or software, whether originating with sender or Sponsor. All entries become property of Sponsor and none will be returned. In the event of a dispute about who submitted an online entry, the entry will be deemed to have been submitted by the authorized account holder of the social media profile. The authorized account holder is deemed the natural person who is assigned to a social media user name or profile; or, the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, service provider, or other online organization that is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address. Any questions regarding the number of entries submitted or the owner of an account shall be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, and Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any entries by persons determined to be tampering with or abusing any aspect of the Contest, as well as any entries deemed offensive in nature.

4. Winner Selection. See posted information on each contest for how many winners will be selected, when, and how.

5. Prizes and Odds. See posted information for prizes and quantities. Prizes typically include tickets to local events and concerts or merchandise and do not exceed $250 in approximate retail value. No prizes awarded in a Contest will exceed $5,000 unless otherwise specified. Any costs or taxes not included in the prize are the responsibility of the winner. Restrictions may apply. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.

6. Winner Notification and Acceptance. Winners will be notified as specified in the “tweets” or other messages posted by pbpulse.com. Return of prize notification message(s) as undeliverable, failure to reach the winner by phone, or the failure of the winner to respond as instructed may result in disqualification and selection of a substitute winner. Winners may waive their right to receive prizes. Prizes are nonassignable and nontransferable. No substitutions allowed by winner. Prizes and individual components of prize packages are subject to availability and Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prizes of equal or greater value. Winners are solely responsible for payment of any taxes on prizes. Winners may be required to complete an affidavit of eligibility, and a liability and publicity release (except where prohibited by law), which must be returned by the deadline specified. Failure to sign and return the affidavit or release as requested, or to comply with any term or condition of these Official Rules, may result in a winner’s disqualification, the forfeiture of his or her interest in the prize, and the award of the prize to a substitute winner. Prizes won by minors will be awarded on their behalf to a parent or legal guardian who must sign any affidavit or release required by Sponsor. Except where prohibited, acceptance of any prize constitutes winner’s irrevocable consent to the publication of his or her name, biographical information and likeness in any media for any commercial or promotional purpose, without limitation, or further compensation. Prizes not won and claimed by eligible winners in accordance with these Official Rules will not be awarded and will remain the property of Sponsor. For prize winners list send an email to pbpusle[at]pbpost.com, or send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Winners List – [Insert name of contest], P.O. Box 24700, West Palm Beach, FL 33416-4700.

7. Participants’ Responsibilities. By participating, participants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and by the decisions of Sponsor and Contest judges, which shall be final in all matters relating to the Contests. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify persons found tampering with or otherwise abusing any aspect of these Contests, as solely determined by Sponsor. By participating in these Contests, if you provide an email address you also grant your consent and agree to receive future e-mail communications related to this contest from any or all of the Contest Sponsors. E-mail services provided by Palm Beach Newspapers, Inc., are free and you may unsubscribe/opt-out at any time by following the simple instructions provided at the end of each e-mail. Unsubscribing will not affect your chances of winning a prize. You are encouraged to adjust any privacy or account settings on your social media account if you do not wish to receive our updates in your feed after the conclusion of a Contest.

8. Disclaimers. By entering, participants acknowledge and agree that the Sponsor, its respective affiliates and advertising, production, and promotional agencies, and the officers, employees, agents and representatives of each (collectively, the “Contest Entities”), will not be liable for losses or injuries of any kind resulting from the acceptance/possession/use and/or misuse of prize(s), prize-related travel, participation in the Contest, tampering or other unauthorized human or technical intervention, typographical, printing, mailing or distribution errors, or any malfunctions of any telephone or computer network, computer Internet system, web site, computer dating mechanism, computer equipment, software, or any combination thereof, or for any entries that are late (including delayed data transmissions), garbled, incomplete, misdirected, lost, forged, illegible, or otherwise not in compliance with these Official Rules. Contest Entities are not responsible or liable for any injury or damage to any participant’s or third person’s computer and/or its contents, related to or resulting from the Sweepstakes, including, without limitation, injury or damage caused by computer viruses or bugs. Sponsor reserves the right to terminate, suspend or modify the Contest if, at its sole discretion, it determines that for any reason the Sweepstakes is not capable of running as originally planned, or fraud, technical or human errors, printing, or distribution errors, or any other unanticipated causes or occurrences, have compromised the fairness or integrity of the Contest. In the event the Contest is terminated prior to the stated end date, Sponsor reserves the right to award all prizes in a random drawing from among all eligible entries received as of the date of termination.

9. Sponsor. Social Media Contests conducted by pbpulse.com are sponsored by Palm Beach Newspapers, Inc. If you have any questions regarding this Sweepstakes, please contact Digital Marketing, P.O. Box 24700, West Palm Beach, FL 33416-4700.

OFFICIAL RULES

1. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR TO WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

2. Eligibility. Subject to the additional restrictions below, the Post a Message to Your “Tweetheart” Contest (the “Contest”) is open to residents of Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, Indian River, St. Lucie, Okeechobee and Hendry counties in Florida who are 18 years or older at the time of entry. Employees of Palm Beach Newspapers, Inc. (“Sponsor”), Forte restaurant, Deluxe Limo, Kaffee’s Garden Spa, and each of their respective affiliated companies, and advertising and promotional agencies, and the immediate family members of, and any persons domiciled with, any such employees, are not eligible to enter or to win. For purposes of the Contest, the term “immediate family members” includes spouses, parents, grandparents, siblings, children, and grandchildren.

3. How To Enter. The Contest will begin on February 4, 2010 and end at 11:59 p.m. (Eastern) on February 10, 2010 (the “Contest Period”). You must have a free Twitter account to participate. To enter, log in to your account at www.Twitter.com, and visit the Palm Beach Post Twitter page at www.twitter.com/pbpost (@pbpost). Compose a love “tweet,” post it @pbpost and include the hashtag #pbvday. All tweets must be @pbpost and include the hashtag to be eligible. Multiple entries by means of software-generated or other automated processes will be disregarded. Multiple entries are allowed, but only one prize per person, or household. Sponsor will not be responsible for incomplete, lost, late, misdirected or illegible entries or for failure to receive entries due to transmission failures or technical failures of any kind, including, without limitation, the malfunction of any communications network or equipment, or computer hardware or software, whether originating with sender or Sponsor. All entries become property of Sponsor and none will be returned. In the event of a dispute about who submitted an entry, the entry will be deemed to have been submitted by the authorized account holder of the Twitter account used to participate. Any questions regarding the number of entries submitted or the owner of a Twitter account shall be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, and Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any entries by persons determined to be tampering with or abusing any aspect of the Contest, or by persons whose profile information, username or tweets are deemed offensive. Participants need not be followers of @pbpost or other contest sponsors to win.

4. Winner Selection. One (1) winner will be selected from the eligible entries received on or about February 11, 2010. Judges from The Palm Beach Post will select their favorite entry.

5. Prizes and Odds. Winner will receive a spa services, limousine and dinner package that includes:
• A couples massage at Kaffee’s Garden Spa in West Palm Beach (ARV: $295.00)
• Four (4) hours of limousine service by Deluxe Limo (ARV: $400.00)
• Dinner for two (2) people at Forte restaurant in West Palm Beach (Maximum of $150.00)

Costs of additional services, gratuities, and all other expenses not specified above as part of prize package are the sole responsibility of winner. Restrictions may apply. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.

6. Winner Notification and Acceptance. On or about February 12, 2010, winner will be notified via Twitter direct message at the account used to post the contest entry. Failure by winner fails to respond as instructed may result in disqualification and selection of a substitute winner. Winner may waive his/her right to receive prizes. Prizes are nonassignable and nontransferable. No substitutions allowed by winner. Prizes and individual components of prize packages are subject to availability and Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prizes of equal or greater value. Winners are solely responsible for payment of any taxes on prizes. Winners may be required to complete an affidavit of eligibility, and a liability and publicity release (except where prohibited by law) which must be returned within ten (10) days of date of Sponsor’s postmark. Failure to sign and return the affidavit or release within ten (10) days, or to comply with any term or condition of these Official Rules, may result in a winner’s disqualification, the forfeiture of his or her interest in the prize, and the award of the prize to a substitute winner. Except where prohibited, acceptance of any prize constitutes winner’s irrevocable consent to the publication of his or her name, biographical information and likeness in any media for any commercial or promotional purpose, without limitation, or further compensation. Prizes not won and claimed by eligible winners in accordance with these Official Rules will not be awarded and will remain the property of Sponsor. For prize winners list (available after February 14, 2010), visit http://www.twitter.com/pbpost or send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Winners List, Post a Message to Your “Tweetheart”, P.O. Box 24700, West Palm Beach, FL 33416-4700.

7. Participants’ Responsibilities. By participating, participants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and by the decisions of Sponsor and Contest judges, which shall be final in all matters relating to the Contest. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify persons found tampering with or otherwise abusing any aspect of this Contest, as solely determined by Sponsor.

8. Disclaimers. By entering, participants acknowledge and agree that the Sponsor, Deluxe Limo, Kaffee’s Garden Spa, Forte restaurant, their respective affiliates and advertising, production, and promotional agencies, and the officers, employees, agents and representatives of each (collectively, the “Contest Entities”), will not be liable for losses or injuries of any kind resulting from the acceptance/possession/use and/or misuse of prize(s), prize-related travel, participation in the Contest, tampering or other unauthorized human or technical intervention, typographical, printing, mailing or distribution errors, or any malfunctions of any telephone, cellular or computer network, computer Internet system, web site, computer dating mechanism, computer equipment, software, or any combination thereof, or for any entries that are late (including delayed data transmissions), garbled, incomplete, misdirected, lost, forged, illegible, or otherwise not in compliance with these Official Rules. Contest Entities are not responsible or liable for any injury or damage to any participant’s or third person’s mobile device, computer and/or its contents, related to or resulting from the Contest, including, without limitation, injury or damage caused by computer viruses or bugs. Sponsor reserves the right to terminate, suspend or modify the Contest if, at its sole discretion, it determines that for any reason the Contest is not capable of running as originally planned, or fraud, technical or human errors, printing, or distribution errors, or any other unanticipated causes or occurrences, have compromised the fairness or integrity of the Contest. In the event the Contest is terminated prior to the stated end date, Sponsor reserves the right to award all prizes in a random drawing from among all eligible entries received as of the date of termination.

9. Sponsor. The Post a Message to Your “Tweetheart” Contest is sponsored by Palm Beach Newspapers, Inc. If you have any questions regarding this Contest, please send a Twitter direct message to @pbpost, email post_answers@pbpost.com or write to Digital Marketing, P.O. Box 24700, West Palm Beach, FL 33416-4700.