Mallory Tyler walked into the room with a smile on her face and did a twirl before striking a pose to show off her purple top and floral print skirt.
Mallory, a student at The Green Oaks School in Arlington, is one of seven North Texans who will rock the runway later this month at the HuRrAh! benefit fashion show and fundraiser to celebrate Helping Restore Ability's 40th anniversary.
The fashion show and food benefit is scheduled from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, May 20 at Park Place Motorcars in Arlington. The annual fundraising event benefits Helping Restore Ability (HRA), a non-profit organization helping Texans with all disabilities live a full and independent life.
“We wanted a unique fundraiser and took the show from last year and just tried to improve on it," said Caroline Basham, creative assistant at Helping Restore Ability.
Funds raised at the event will go towards non-reimbursable client-enrollment fees, which reach approximately $1,000 per individual. HRA currently serves more than 1,000 clients through its network of 2,000 care givers and provided more than 1.5 million hours of service and care to clients last year.
HRA clients, such as 17-year-old C.J. Eliassant, who is a sophomore at Bowie High School, will also be featured in the fashion show. C.J.'s little brother Caleb and their aunt Shaunterria Gordon, who is C.J.'s attendant, will also be modeling. C.J. is non-verbal and uses a motorized wheelchair, but that doesn't stop him from hip-hop dancing at church, playing baseball in the City's miracle league and enjoying Six Flags Over Texas.
HRA provides care for any disabling condition whether that be physical or intellectual. The most common diagnoses for which HRA provides care include cerebral palsy, autism, spinal cord injury, developmental delay, down syndrome, multiple sclerosis, dementia, diabetes, quadriplegia and spina bifida.
The fashion show will feature clothing from numerous North Texas boutiques, including Clothing Circuit, Gracie Lane and Ming Wang. New York-based Alter Ur Ego and Runway of Dreams will also providing adaptive clothing for the models. The event will also feature a silent auction.
General admission tickets for this year's event are $100 each and can be purchased at http://hand.bid/hurrah.
For more information on the event and Helping Restore Ability, please visit www.helpingrestoreability.org.
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