St John’s Shoppe Fashion Show 2019

By the time you received this issue of Parish Life our Fashion Show on March 23, 2019, for St, John’s Shoppe will be over. This year’s Fashion Show was only accomplished by the hard work from our board members, St. John’s Shoppe volunteers and all of the church members that pitched in to make it a success as well as nonmembers that return every year to help. As we look to next year, I believe we will go down a different avenue. No matter what we do in the future, it will be successful.

It is always amazing to me that as we got closer to our Fashion Show this year, it all came together. As we started working on the event for the benefit of our local charities’ months ahead, I became very worried that our goal would not be accomplished. But I worry every year that I have been in charge of the Fashion Show, nothing new for me.

I do understand that for the most part, people do not understand the work that goes into planning an event. To start is the design of the tickets, the printing, the push to sell raffle tickets, asking for donations, asking our board members to make baskets for the silent auc­tion, dealing with the catering, decorating the Sugden Hall with a different theme from the year before, re­cruiting volunteers from our church members to help set up before and take down after the Fashion Show is over. The record keeping for our expense, and bottom line of net income to be turned to Randy, keeping track of tickets sold which inclqdes names, tickets numbers, how they were paid for, seating for guest, the design of our flyers used and printing. Make sure that we purchased everything that is needed to place on the tables etc. Need I say more?

On the date that I wrote this article for the Parish life, March 15, we were six days away from the setup and the final day of our Fashion Show. We start setup Two days before; we arrive at 8AM that is arranging table and chairs, putting up decora­tions, getting a centerpiece for the table and being at the Sugden Hall for delivery of the Rental Equipment. On the next day, we are back at Sugden hall at 8AM to start and finish everything that is required for our guests to enjoy the event. At 3pm Sharon brings in the models for practice. This year we had foliage delivered at 1pm. On Saturday, I am at the Sugden hall at 9AM to meet the caterer along with the board member and all of the volunteers to welcome our guest. There are many other things that have to be done in order for the Fashion Show to be successful.

Is it worth it, of course, it is because on one given day in the late fall at our church we come together with the Charities that have been selected to receive funds to show our support for those Charities. That is the day that I look back, and as I attend that special Sunday, it brings tears to my eyes and pride within my heart that it was all worth the effort. I am blessed to be part of this wonderful church, my extended family.

Thank all of you for the help, and the sharing of love to accomplish what we did on March 23, 2019, and thank all of you that took time out of your busy schedule to attend. The question is what are we going to do next year? (By Faye Bruso)