Fashion show celebrates people touched by cancer.
In 2013, members of Friends of Winship were looking for positive, uplifting ways to raise funds for research on cancers that affect women when they hit upon the idea of a fashion show and luncheon at the Piedmont Driving Club. They named it Fashion a Cure and since then the annual gathering has raised $2 million. Chairs Lynne Rankin, Jennifer Raulet and Ashley Whitehurst hosted this year’s event on April 29.
“This is a professional but casual fashion show with a long runway and musical accompaniment, but the real stars of the event are the models,” Rankin says. “They’re cancer survivors, women still in treatment, loved ones, caregivers, those touched by cancer, doctors and nurses, each representing a different facet of their journey. Each carries a long-stemmed rose in a unique color to signify their connection.” Twenty local boutiques, some that have participated year after year, will supply the clothing for men, women and children. Some of the original organizers continue to serve on the committee. The event also features a raffle and a live auction.
Each of the Buckhead chairs has been touched by cancer. Rankin and Raulet both lost their fathers to the disease, and Whitehurst and her mother are survivors of breast cancer. Whitehurst credits the advancement in research with her early diagnosis.
WINSHIP CANCER INSTITUTE OF EMORY UNIVERSITY
winshipcancer.emory.edu
