St. Petersburg dessert bar swah-rey is turning 1. To celebrate the milestone, the Grand Central District sweets shop has fundraising events in store for its weekend-long anniversary party.
At 7 p.m. Friday, owners Leslie Ann and Gregg Ciccone — who highlight house-made desserts, coffee, craft beer and wine at swah-rey — will bring in local celebrities to act as guest bartenders for the night, which will benefit John Hopkins All Children's Hospital. A raffle for donated items from 12-plus area businesses and a silent auction are also planned.
The dessert bar's second annual fundraiser for Southeastern Guide Dogs will kick off at noon Sunday. Another silent auction and raffle will be featured, plus a "Puppy Kissing Booth" and Mayor Rick Kriseman and Hope, his Southeastern Guide Dog pup-in-training. Ten percent of the day's pre-tax sales will go to the doggie-driven nonprofit.
