It was lights, camera, action at the East Maitland Rotary Club's Fashion Extravaganza on Friday evening.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Close to $8000 was raised at the sold-out event at East Maitland Bowling Club and will be donated to Australian Rotary Health's national fundraiser, Lift The Lid On Mental Illness.
Event organiser Nicole Crick, who had a personal target to raise $5000, was overwhelmed with the support received from the community.
"We're just absolutely blown away by how much people have actually donated," she said.
Lift the Lid on Mental Illness is Australian Rotary Health's national annual fundraising day for mental health research and was first founded in 2016.
Rotary District Governor Elect 2023-2024 Alyn Miranda said each year the organisation raises money for Lift the Lid through events nationwide.
"The East Maitland Rotary Club decided to have a fashion parade which is a first for this area," he said.
East Maitland Rotary Club member Carol Coffey, who has raised $51,000 for Lift the Lid in previous years, said it was wonderful to see the event come together.
"100 per cent of the donations goes towards research programs for mental health," she said.
On the night, a mix of professional models and Rotarians took to the runway and modelled a range of men's and women's clothing from local fashion houses.
East Maitland Rotary Club president Brian Morgan was one of the Rotarians to walk the runway and said he was proud to be supporting such a good cause.
Local fashion houses including Junkyard Gypsies, Fleurs of Morpeth, Lifeline, Princess Bazaar, Connor and Johnny Bigg were amongst some of the fashion houses to showcase their clothing.
Master of ceremonies for the evening, Wayne Rogers brought his own flair of fashion and fun to the event.
Maitland's Bespoke Hair Artistry also donated their time with their expertise in hair and makeup to ensure the models looked fabulous on the runway.
Mr Morgan said the members of the East Maitland Rotary Club are a diverse group.
"One of the things we pride ourselves on is tapping into the talents of our members and putting on events like this one," he said.
IN THE NEWS
Laura Rumbel
Laura Rumbel is a journalist who has always called Maitland home. She has been with the Maitland Mercury since 2022, and is passionate about all areas of local news.
Laura Rumbel is a journalist who has always called Maitland home. She has been with the Maitland Mercury since 2022, and is passionate about all areas of local news.
