This year’s Cranbrook Health Care Auxiliary Fashion Show was as fabulous as ever on October 25.
The ladies showed off the best in thrift store fashions for an enthusiastic crowd.
“There was a lot of hootin’ and hollerin’, a lot of laughter,” said Sandy Zeznik, president of the Cranbrook Health Care Auxiliary. “Everybody seems to be saying it was pretty fun.”
The popular annual fundraiser raises money for the East Kootenay Regional Hospital to purchase new equipment to serve patients.
Zeznik said while the final tally for this year’s edition isn’t complete, they usually average about $7,000 every year. That money is collected through an auction of the catwalk fashions, raffles, silent auctions and ticket sales.
The collection of fashions from the Auxiliary thrift store begins in January of every year. Zeznik said members have a great time picking things out and matching up outfits with their accessories throughout the year.
“We try and pull out our best,” she said. “They have lots of fun.”
Sometimes the women even find items in their own closet they had planned to bring to the thrift store to put up for auction. They match each outfit to the perfect model.
“They have a say in what they’re comfortable with,” Zeznik said.
The Auxiliary has three major fundraisers. The first two are the thrift store, the second is the gift shop at the East Kootenay Regional Hospital and the third biggest is the fashion show.
Once the funds are collected for the fashion show, the Auxiliary meets with hosptial administration to decide the best equipment to spend the money on. Zeznik said each department makes a list of their needs each year. Once they pick out some potential pieces to fund, the members get the final vote.
“It comes with a lot of guidance from hospital staff,” she said.
The fashion show wouldn’t happen every year without a team of volunteers. From sorting through outfits, to MC duties to ticket sales, it takes an army. Zeznik is the co-convener of the fashion show along with Rachel Christie, but she says there are too many names to list that help make the event such a success every year.
This year tickets sold out, so Zeznik is urging anyone interested in attending next year to keep their ears to the ground for the 2013 tickets to go on sale. you won’t want to miss next year’s fun and the hilarious antics of models and the special guests.
“They really ham it up on the stage.”
