Those battling cancer and those who have beaten it have taken center stage at the annual Celebrating With Style fashion show and luncheon in hopes of raising money to help others.
The tradition continues Saturday, when the foundation hosts its fundraiser at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario.
Tickets for the event are $75 per person, and proceeds will benefit the Robert and Beverly Lewis Family Cancer Care Center endowment fund. That money is used to help cover the costs of the center's free support programs.
Longtime foundation supporter Joanne George came up with the idea seven years ago as a way to raise money. Foundation development director Glenda Ferguson took the idea and expanded on it, helping to make it one of the most well- attended and successful fundraisers in the community. To date, 450 tickets have been sold.
For reservations, call (909) 865-9139.
"We have models who have all had various cancer diagnoses, from breast cancer to prostate cancer to Hodgkin's disease. Everyone involved has been touched in some way by cancer, and what we try to do is offer the public an elegant afternoon that is inspirational and full of hope," Ferguson said.
Models this year are Michael Buckley, Tina Carden, Judith Carrillo, Gabriel Estrada, Arthur Guzman, Camellia Hartunian, Caroline Johnson, Charles
Kinney, Diego Munoz, Rita Ostravich, Peggy Rees and Terry Whitehurst. Macy's in Montclair and Carducci Tuxedos are providing the fashions."I think the event keeps growing through word of mouth. Those who attend or model one year have so much fun that they come back and they bring their friends. And it's a great event," Ferguson said.
The day is filled with emotion, but not sadness. After all, the order of the day is celebration - of gaining strength, finding inner peace or overcoming despair. There are some tears but mostly there is laughter.
"People come to this because it really is a unique experience. We have models who have cancer or who have beaten it. All have been treated at the Cancer Care Center where the proceeds will go. We hear their stories. We see their faces. We are happy that they are there, and we want to celebrate their triumphs with them," said Sue Nuss, event chairwoman.
"Also, this is just a wonderful way of giving back to the community, and I think people are always looking for ways to do that."
A large part of the event's success is that the spotlight isn't on cancer, but on those who have battled it and won. It's time that people learn not to be afraid to talk about the disease. It's time, she said, to bring it all out in the open.
"I have a daughter who had cancer. My mother died of breast cancer. I know what cancer is and how devastating it is, but there are triumphs and those should be recognized," Nuss said.
Join the fun
What: Celebrating With Style fashion show and luncheon
When: 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Doubletree Hotel in Ontario
Cost: $75 per person
Contact: For reservations, call (909) 865-9139.
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