Tickets to FUNky Fashion Show going quickly
Grab your gently used dresses and join others at the FUNky Fashion Show, a collection drive for the annual Love That Dress! event, which raises money for the PACE Center for Girls, Lee County.
PACE Center for Girls, Lee County Development Manager Allyson Ross said they are taking over the Cape Coral Yacht Club from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 20, for the FUNky Fashion Show collection show, complete with a stage.
“We are almost sold out, only a handful of tickets left,” she said.
Tickets are $45 in advance and $50 at the door, if there are any still available. Tickets can be purchased at www.lovethatdress.org.
The FUNky Fashion Show originated four years ago when Toni Rae Hurley with IBERIABANK had an idea of putting together looks of recycled, and repurposed material.
“It went from this little event that she held in her bank branch the first year. The second year she had some clients that wanted to get involved. The third year she came to us and said we can step it up a notch and open it up to the public and have them participate. Ever since then it has taken off,” Ross said.
She said the second year the fashion show was held, some of the employees at IBERIABANK made a wedding dress out of coffee filters.
“It was the most beautiful creation I have ever seen,” Ross said.
For this year’s show, IBERIABANK is putting together two looks, one of which is a dress partially made out of dollar bills.
“All the materials and supplies are 100 percent recycled, and, or repurposed material,” Ross said. “People are so creative. It’s really impressive to watch what people come up with.”
Other companies, such as Master Piece Mixers and Red Headed Witches will put together some looks, as well as the featured designer Marie C. Dyer.
“She is going to be cooking up a couple custom creations for us,” Ross said.
Razzle Dazzle will also participate in show with “runway ready looks,” she explained.
Eco-friendly local fashionistas can also enter a dress into the fashion show. First place prizes will include two tickets to Love That Dress! and a $100 gift card for the categories Runway Ready, People’s Choice and Funkiest Fashion. The fee to enter a dress is $75, and includes event admission.
The event will also include music by Robert McDonald of New Beginnings Events and food from Big Blue Brewing.
“They always put together a beautiful spread,” she said of the heavy hors d’oeuvre and welcome cocktail.
The FUNky Fashion Show is part of PACE’s signature event Love That Dress!, which is celebrating its 10th year on Aug. 21. The FUNky Fashion show is the last Cape Coral collection party before the Love That Dress! event. Ross said they collect dresses from “beach to bridal and Gap to Gucci.”
Anyone who brings a new or gently loved dress to the FUNky Fashion Show will be entered into a prize drawing.
Those who cannot attend the event, but would like to donate a dress to the cause, can drop off their donations at any IBERIABANK in Lee County during the summer months.
The Love That Dress! event is held at Embassy Suites. VIP tickets are $150 and provides attendees with one hour early access, access to VIP suite level, complimentary food and beverage, private dressing rooms and private check out.
In addition to the dress drives, White House Black Market, which is the Title Sponsor of Love That Dress!, provides hundreds of brand new dresses, shoes and jewelry for the event’s inventory.
“We will have probably close to 500 people come and shop our ballroom,” Ross said of the signature event.
General admission is $30.
“General admission comes in at 6 p.m.,” Ross said of the August event.
All of the money raised from these events goes towards PACE Center for Girls, Lee County.
“We are one of 21 centers throughout the state of Florida. We provide education and social services for at-risk young girls in Lee County. These young girls are middle and high school age. They come to us with at least three risk factors,” Ross said.
Some of those risk factors include being behind a year or two in academic school work, as well as mental health issues; death or incarceration of a parent; moving more than five times in a calendar year and physical, sexual and emotional abuse.
The girls that need assistance are brought to the center, which is part of the Lee County School District. Ross said they help the girls get caught up with their academics, so they can go back to regular school.
She said their counselors help the girls work through their risk factors while developing coping skills to be successful in life.
Currently the center has 57 girls who take part in year round school.
“Our girls are with us during the summer,” Ross said.
Their summer schedule includes being picked up at their bus stop from a Lee County School District bus in time for their day to begin between 9:30 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. They get back on the bus around 3:30 p.m. and return home.
“We operate just like a Lee County school,” Ross said. “We are so very thankful for the partnership we have with the Lee County School District. Their partnership with the program is huge.”