20-30 fashion show earns $4,000 for children's charities

A flurry of activity and last minute preparations filled a small, sheet-draped, anteroom in Antoci's Supper Club at the Genoa Lakes Golf Club, Sunday.

In the makeshift dressing room, racks of clothing provided by the new Dillard's Department Store, located in the Summit Sierra shopping complex at the south end of Reno, were tagged and put in order for the models as they would appear for the audience by model coordinators Jessie Wetzel and Stacie Hunter.

The models were arriving and commotion reigned, the excitement for the big event was high. It was the second annual Spring Fashion Show Extravaganza sponsored by the Sierra Nevada Active 20-30 Women's Club No. 730 and a major fundraising event that benefits charities throughout Carson Valley.

The models ranged from professionals to amateurs. One model, Beverly Willard, Republican National Committee Woman for Nevada, was a model for 25 years in New York, named model of the year in 1976 by the World Modeling Association and taught modeling for 13 years. She has produced four fashion show fundraisers for the Douglas County Republican Women as well as fashion show fundraisers for the Carson Tahoe Cancer Center, professional men and women in the Carson Valley and the Douglas High School cheerleading squad.

All of this was overshadowed by real show stoppers as Brooke, 4, and her sister Jessie Eddy, 2, modeled their fashions along with the professional models. "Oohs" and "ahs" filled the room as these diminutive models made their moves in and out among the audience of more than 85, showing confidence unsurpassed by their adult counterparts.

Three of the participating models represented neighboring United States/Canada Gold Rush No. 1034 Active 20-30 from Placerville, Calif., Kim Olinger, her son Zachary, 16, an El Dorado High School student and her daughter Haliegh Olinger, 13, in eighth grade at Herbert Green Middle School in Placerville, all participated in the event. Another guest model, 20-30 Regional Director Frank Cockrell, a certified financial planner in Sacramento and a member of the Sacramento Active 20-30, 80 members strong, made two appearances on the runway.

The fashion show chairperson Jacquie Manoukian was introduced to the audience and Active 20-30 National President Elect Jennifer Norman served as mistress of ceremonies.

While the audience enjoyed the preview of what is hot in spring fashions, they were treated to a luncheon of salad, chicken a la king, fine wines and other beverages prepared by Chef Valter Montanari and Sous Chef James Rosenberry.

More than 34 businesses donated products and services to the raffle and silent auction, which included a variety of prizes from tickets to San Francisco Giants vs. Oakland A's baseball game, lift tickets, massages, rounds of golf, casino get-a-ways, dinners and fine wines, facials, furs and gift baskets, all made for competitive auction bidding and the sale of rolls of blue raffle tickets.

At the end of the day, the Sierra Nevada Active 20-30 Club collected more than $4,000 in net profits.

"We still have unclaimed silent auction items so I'm sure that number will go up," said 20-30 public relations director and show coordinator Shannon Johnson.

Proceeds from Sunday's Fashion Show Extravaganza will benefit children's charities and non-profit organizations in Douglas County.

For more information about Sierra Nevada Active 20-30 Club No. 730, e-mail info@sierranv2030.org or visit www.sierranv2030.org or call 691-3982.

n Jonni Hill can be reached at jhill@recordcourier.com or by calling 782-5121, ext. 213.