The Beauty in Bloom fashion show fundraiser in support of South Central Cancer Resource last Thursday in Morden was once again a sold-out success.
Organizers know that they will net at least over $50,000 from the event, but just as vital as raising money is raising awareness of both the organization and the impact of cancer.
“It is a special evening,” said president Dianne Mestdagh. “I’m just feeling so grateful … and we’ve had so many nice posts thanking us and telling us what an inspirational evening it was, so I’m feeling quite good about it.
“Our sponsors will have covered all our expenses, so all of the money raised from ticket sales and raffle tickets will go into program funds,” she explained. “We are so grateful for all of the support we receive from the community.”
The annual fashion show has been a major source of support for South Central Cancer Resource for over a decade.
Beauty in Bloom 2024 featured clothing and accessories from five local businesses: Fashions by Co-op, Knockabouts, Copper & Sparrow, Livienne Bridal, Stephen Street Wear, and Focal Point Comprehensive Vision Care.
“So many of our models have either experienced cancer themselves or are walking in memory of family members and friends who have gone through the cancer journey … or for people who are unable to walk for themselves,” Mestdagh said, noting the wide age range of the models is evidence of how the disease can impact anyone. “I think our youngest model was 14, so it does touch everyone. Cancer doesn’t pick ages. It feels to me like there’s very few families who aren’t in some way impacted by cancer.”
Stepping out onto the catwalk is a chance for family members and cancer survivors to share their stories, Mestdagh said.
“I believe only two were returning models,” she said, noting how the models are recruited throughout the year. “Our staff at the office kind of keep an eye out throughout the year for people who they think would be good candidates.
“Although we write the script, they gave us their bios. We send them a number of questions, and each year it changes a little bit.”
The show is vital in terms of raising awareness that the organization is not government funded and not associated with CancerCare Manitoba.
Founded in 2003, SCCR relies solely on the support of community donors, volunteers, and fundraisers to continue offering services and programs to patients and families grappling with a cancer diagnosis.
With its client numbers continuing to trend upwards, it is really counting on fundraising efforts to be a success in order to continue helping all of those in the south central region who need support throughout their battles with the disease.
“It’s vital for the fundraising aspect,” Mestdagh said. “It’s also vital to get the stories out into the community … it’s another way of letting people know what we do.”
The evening also included the announcement that the fashion show will moving to Winkler next year.
“We turned so many people away who wanted to buy tickets, so we will be moving to the Meridian Exhibition Centre next year … it has significantly more capacity,” Mestdagh said. “That show will be May 15 of 2025.”
Photos by Lorne Stelmach/Voice
South Central Cancer Resource’s annual Beauty in Bloom fashion show last week saw models—many of them with personal experience with the disease—hit the catwalk in support of the organization, raising over $50,000 for its programming across the region.
