In support of an organization that has touched the lives of so many, the 2023 Friends & Fashion event returns to the Music City Center for a fashion-filled day celebrating hope.
Hosted by Friends of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, the hospital’s incredible volunteer organization, Friends & Fashion includes shopping opportunities, a luncheon, and an unforgettable runway show to raise funds for Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
Held on April 3, the event kicks off at 10 a.m. with shopping and a silent auction, followed by a luncheon and the fashion show at 11:30 a.m. Marketplace shopping continues afterwards from 1 – 3 p.m. and proceeds from ticket sales support programs for Monroe Carell patients and their families. This year’s event will be emceed by actor Jason Priestley of the iconic Beverly Hills, 90210 series and co-chaired by Kathy Dorr, Sarah Gardner, and Mary Wilson. The show will feature fashion by The Friends Shop and Dillard’s, along with Sam Edelman. In addition to his designs that will be featured in a portion of the show, attendees will have the opportunity to meet Edelman both at the event and at a free, pre-event gathering the day prior to the show at Dillard’s at The Mall at Green Hills from 4 – 6 p.m.
“For this year’s Friends & Fashion, thanks to our dedicated event chairs and our fashion partner, Dillard’s, we’ve added a featured designer element as a new twist,” says Cindy Comperry, director of Friends of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. “We have a feeling most of the ladies attending the show have a pair of Sam Edelman shoes in their closet already, so we’re excited for everyone to have this opportunity to visit with him and see his styles on the runway.”
But the real stars of this year’s Friends & Fashion show are the models, who are grateful patient families from Monroe Carell. The hospital not only places tremendous focus on the children who are patients there, but on their families as well. And this year’s decision to include the whole family in the show is a testament to that commitment.
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“Most of our models have had long-termrelationships with the hospital. It is a pleasure to pamper them and their families, giving them a chance to walk a runway and feel like the stars they are. The Friends & Fashion show will give them a well-deserved day of being celebrated, feeling special, and allow the entire family to feel the love. I can’t wait to see them being supported first-hand from hundreds of attendees who have given generously to Monroe Carell, ensuring families like our models receive the best health care possible,” says Sarah Gardner, event co-chair.
As the largest fundraising event the Friends of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt’s volunteers host, past Friends & Fashion events have supported several departments including palliative care, research for type 1 diabetes, and the growth of psychological services for oncology patients. This year’s event will help increase rehabilitation services and support for psychological services. The Friends efforts also support those in the hospital with programs such as free meals for families and a variety of patient-facing needs.
“This event truly takes a village to produce each year and our team works hard on it. That hard work is nothing compared to the hard scenarios the families at Monroe Carell are facing. Each of us on the committee has either had a personal experience with our families or knows a family who has spent time at the hospital. The joy on the faces of our models walking the runway says it all. The hope and spirit on the runway each year is unlike any other event, and we hope each family modeling this year feels supported from a room full of attendees raising funds for the hospital where they spent days, weeks, and in some cases years as patients,” says Allison Fowler, president of Friends of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
Beyond the event itself, opportunities to support patients and families at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt continue throughout the months of April and May with Fashion Gives Back. With designated give back days scheduled during these months, retail partners such as K. McCarthy, Plaid Rabbit, and Gus Mayer will donate a percentage of sales in support of Monroe Carell. Specific dates and a complete list of retailers to be announced on Friends of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt’s Instagram. Because giving back is always in style. (give.vanderbilthealth.org/fashion)