The Styles & Smiles 2014 Fashion Show is Tuesday, July 29 at 7:00 p.m. in the Family Life Center. This year marks the 8th annual edition of Styles & Smiles, a mission project that Arborlawn United Methodist Women host to benefit United Community Centers.
Thanks to the generosity of so many of you, this year's show is sold out! We certainly appreciate all of you who have bought tickets to this worthwhile event. If you purchased a ticket and will not be able to attend the show, would you consider returning that ticket to Debbie Wood at the Welcome Kiosk this Sunday? We thank you in advance and will look forward to counting this as a donation to the Styles & Smiles mission.
Styles & Smiles began eight years ago at the Bethlehem Center with a modeling and manners class for about ten little girls. The girls loved the class and thought it would be fun to have a fashion show for their peers and teachers. So with that and about 15 women from Arborlawn UMW and friends in the community, the first fashion show was presented.
The next year, the boys said they wanted to be included, and we have had boys in the show ever since. This year there will be six boys in Styles & Smiles. The boys are known for "stealing the show".
After the first two years at the Bethlehem Center with about 15 women in attendance, it was decided to move Styles & Smiles to Arborlawn. That's when the UMW began to support and promote the style show. In the show's first year at Arborlawn, about 150 people attended and more than 50 church member volunteered. Last year's show was witnessed by more than 250 attendees and dozens of volunteers.
The volunteers have been amazing and make the show what it is. The show's emcees are Coach Aaron Mattox and Coach Jeff Dover, the high school football coaches at Trinity Valley. They bring so much fun and humor to the show. Laurie Bing, an international model, has supported the style show since it began at Arborlawn. We are thrilled to have her back again this year. Jim Helvey, a professional photographer, has also been part of the team from the beginning. He and his wife, Marilyn, come to every rehearsal and give each child a 5x7 photo. They take hundreds of photos during the process each year. Professional makeup artists from Neiman Marcus, Amy Rose and Darlene Engleking, take time off from their jobs to apply the children's makeup the night of the show. Hair stylists from Lux Machine have been styling the children's hair for the past five years. The owner, Gloria Bradfield, is a generous supporter of Styles & Smiles. Scott Shirley, a professional DJ, became part of the team two years ago. He literally brought the style show to a whole new level.
Then there are the men who have built us a professional runway, Kay Cornelius, Bill Rogers, and Wayne Corbett. This year, along with Shirley Watkins, they designed a frame for a curtain that is eight feet tall and goes the full width of the family life center. Again, they give their time and talent to make the show extra special for the UCC children and their families.
Behind the scenes, there is a committee of more than 25 people who plan and organize everything from shopping trips, rehearsals, and details for the night of the show. Each child has a personal stylist the night of the show to help them dress, escort them to the runway, and encourage them throughout the entire process. They each model three new outfits and two new pair of shoes that they get to keep. Our pastors perform a spiritual foot washing ceremony for each child the day of the show and the staff at Arborlawn UMC go the extra mile to support the style show and children.
With the support from our church members and friends and neighbors in the community, we are able to give 100 percent of the ticket sales to the United Community Centers. We want to especially thank the Earnestine Reeves Memorial for helping underwrite this year's expenses.
Finally, if someone asks how can they help... the answer is simple... please come to the Styles & Smiles Fashion Show and show the children your support. Their families receive four tickets each and when they arrive the night of the show, they are overjoyed to see the support from another community. To actually witness people from our community taking time from their busy schedules to support children from another side of town is what it's all about!
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ArborlawnUMC.org