Camp Jackie camper and fashion model Abby with Kathy Nicholson and her husband Dennis
It was a glittering night of fashion and compassion Saturday as a crowd gathered at Union Grove Campground in Cleveland for the 1st annual Fashion for Good. The event, a fundraiser for local charities Hannah’s Hope and Camp Jackie, featured a runway fashion show and silent auction.
Fashion for Good is the brainchild of Kathy Nicholson, mother of Hannah Nicholson Gabrels in whose memory Hannah’s Hope was founded, and Amanda Bridges, director of Camp Jackie, a camp for special needs children. Models included Camp Jackie campers, special needs babies and a few close friends of the fashion-minded Gabrels. “Hannah cannot help looking down tonight,” said Nicholson, “we put some extra glitter on the runway.”
Habersham County Commissioner (and Nicholson’s cousin) Natalie Crawford served as Master of Ceremonies. She shared with the crowd the story of Hannah’s battle with methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, a bacterial infection more commonly referred to as MRSA. She spoke of Hannah’s untimely death at the age of 22 in October 2014. The mission of Hannah’s Hope is to raise awareness about the dangers of MRSA and to raise money to help those fighting it.
Nicholson told the audience, “MRSA currently claims more lives than AIDS in the United States and in five years MRSA will outnumber all forms of cancer combined as the leading cause of death.” Nicholson told the audience God has called her to spread the word about the dangers of MRSA through Hannah’s Hope. She shared with them a song she wrote called “Hope Remains”.
Just before the models took to the runway, the Side Step Sisters dance team performed a moving routine made up of beautiful arm movements. The five young ladies in the group got the crowd warmed up for the main event. Hannah’s friends who walked the dazzling runway Saturday night were wearing fashions from Hannah’s own closet. When they were introduced, emcee Crawford let the audience know “this is from Hannah’s personal collection.” The Camp Jackie models showed off fashions from sponsoring department stores Cato, Bealls Outlet, Olive Boutique, and Belk.
Despite all the glitter and glam it wasn’t just a ladies’ night. The male models struck poses that made Arnold Schwarzenegger look like a girly man. The crowd was in almost constant applause throughout the fashion show because every one of the models sparkled like the runway.
When the runway walks ended, Camp Jackie camper and model Abby sang along with a track of Kelly Clarkson’s pop hit “Stronger.” She dedicated her performance in memory of Gabrels who was her former camp counselor and friend.
Several more of Camp Jackie’s talented campers performed, no doubt a teaser for the camp talent shows coming up later this summer at Camp Jackie. Check the nowhabersham.com events calander for further details, or e-mail Amanda Bridges at [email protected].
The winners of the Silent Auction items were announced at the end of the evening and excitedly collected their prizes. Some of the items up for auction were gift certificates from local sponsors such as Belk, Cato, and Bealls and sports items signed by Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver and former Georgia Bulldog and Habersham Central High football star Tavarres King. One of the auction items was furnished by For Such a Time as This handmade jewelry by LeAnn Rudeseal. Along with her own line of high fashion handmade jewelry, Rudeseal also makes a line of jewelry for Hannah’s Hope. Visit www.etsy.com/shop/fashion4good to see the exclusive jewelry line and other fashion items. Rudeseal says, “All proceeds from the sale of this line go to Hannah’s Hope.”
Fashion for Good was an evening of fun, fascination and fundraising. A final tally hasn’t been released but the effect beyond numbers was immediately clear. Laughter, applause and, yes, even some tears served as testament to the fact that Hannah Nicholson Gabrels’ legacy of fashion and compassion lives on in the hearts of those she knew, loved and served.
