The 4th annual ESTEEM fashion show benefitting The Elisa Project is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 21 at Tootsies in The Plaza at Preston Center. The event was created as an awareness event to bring light to the cause of disordered eating. ESTEEM is about friendship, fellowship, mentoring and uplifting one another. It builds confidence through support while raising critically needed funds for the agency to continue to provide much needed services.
Tootsies store manager Nerissa Helpenstill said she was thrilled that the event is coming to her store.
“Tootsies has a long history of supporting great causes in this city. We welcome The Elisa Project and its patrons and hope that lots of folks will join us on Saturday morning,” said Helpenstill.
Tootsies will feature the latest fall trends for 2013 as Nerissa walks us through the must-haves for the season.
Leading this year’s efforts are co-chairmen Pam Skaggs Frank and Bridget Frank. They will work closely with event production manager Rhonda Sargent Chambers with RSC Show Productions to pull off a great event while raising money for the non-profit agency. Debbie Denmon will serve as celebrity hostess again this year.
The show is formatted around celebrity and volunteer models who volunteer their time to help with this event. They are Lauren Baron, Anne & Zoë Besser, Chandler Browning, Olivia Burnett, Caroline Cook, Yvonne Crum, Holly Pellham Davis, Ayo Fashola, Pam & Bridget Frank, Nancy Gopez, Jackson, Mary Caroline & Hannah Hatcher Kramer, Courtney Kerr, Cassie Legg, LeeAnne Locken, Maisey Ann Martinez, Elise McVeigh, Scott Murray, Kelli & Élan Neagle, Ava Noble, Justine Patterson, Lisa Petty, Jill Rowlett, Cammy Sayre, Bethany Siggins, Cynthia Smoot, Hamilton A. Sneed, Erika & Kat Stephanian, Amy Vanderoef, Gary Walden and Hilari Younger. More models are still being confirmed and will be announced later.
In 1997, Rick and Leslie McCall established the Elisa Ruth McCall Memorial Endowment at Southern Methodist University in Dallas in memory of their daughter Elisa. She was a vibrant 20-year-old college student who, like many her age, suffered the pain of an eating disorder and recorded her struggle in her personal journal. She had hoped to reach out to others, but found her own struggle too great and ultimately took her own life. The publication of her journal has inspired many in her community to rally around the cause of combating eating disorders.
For more information about The Elisa Project, please click here. Please call 214-369-5222 for more information or to purchase tickets to ESTEEM.
Story and photo courtesy of Tanya Foster