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Memorial Health Foundation held its 19th Annual Fashion Show celebrating cancer survivors at the Dyson Baudo Recreation Center Friday with 21 cancer survivor models taking the runway wearing outfits from local merchants.
"It's to celebrate them and to raise funds to help other cancer patients all in our region," said Executive Director of Memorial Health Foundation Jarrett Stull. "All the funds raised tonight stay local. And it helps with our Cancer Patient Emergency Fund and our Breast Health Fund."
Stull said the funds ensure that patients who are underinsured, or uninsured, can get the diagnostic testing that they need, it helps them to get to their appointments, helps ensure that they can afford their medication and equipment that they need and a whole host of other things that they may need on their cancer journey.
"Every year we are awarding between $75,000 and $100,000 back to patients in the community that need that support," Stull said. He said this year's event was expected to be one of the largest with nearly 800 attendees coming out to watch the models walk down the runway.One of the models, Clayton Workman, shared his story of being diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia last year. Through four months of chemotherapy treatment,
Workman continued working and living actively.
He is now in remission and views participating in the fashion show as an opportunity to inspire others facing cancer.
"For me it's an opportunity to continue to reach out to others," Workman said. "My whole thing is it's just a diagnosis. You keep living life and being who you are kind of thing. You don't have to let it get you down and stop life because of it."
He said although he is a veteran powerlifter who has performed in front of crowds before, Friday's event was definitely stepping out of his comfort zone.
He worked with Horner and Harrison for his runway outfits and got to choose his own music to walk to. One of the songs he chose was "Perseverance" by Hatebreed.
"'Perseverance' is one of those, we got a banner actually hanging up at the gym and I have a tattoo of it as well, it's just a continuing your journey kind of thing. No matter what life throws at you, keep on going," Workman said.
Stull expressed gratitude for the community's generosity in supporting cancer patients through this annual fundraiser. Memorial Health Foundation anticipates announcing next week that over $100,000 was raised to help local individuals on their cancer journey.
"It is truly such an honor for me and my entire team to be able to bring awareness, and the ability to fundraise, for patients locally," Stull said. "This community is so generous. Especially you know, we're just coming off a week of floods in our community. We're having flooding again, and we're gonna have 800 people turn up here tonight, that's given over $100,000, I think that speaks for itself. And it's truly a privilege that we get to do this for the community."
Douglass Huxley can be reached at dhuxley@newsandsentinel.com