Today was Miss Universe Canada 2017 Delegate Erin Chapman‘s final fundraiser for Operation Smile. Erin was pleased to see such a diverse group of people show up to Elmwood School for this event, and the attendees seemed to be equally pleased by everything that she had organized for their entertainment. As everyone enjoyed the lunch provided by Cafe Deluxe and the refreshments from Bridgehead, Erin began by showing a promotional video from Operation Smile to really emphasize why we were all there – this was not merely a fun event but a fundraiser to provide children in need with life changing surgeries. The video moved many to tears and we were certainly happy to be helping such a worthy cause.
The remainder of the entertainment was much more lighthearted and started out with a dance from some of the dancers of the Ottawa Redblacks Cheer and Dance Team, who not only put on a fun show that had us clapping and cheering, but who were also there to greet the attendees at the door. Throughout the rest of the luncheon, guests were treated to three fashion shows from local designers: Avenir Designs, Emina Fae, and Rowes Fashion. In fact, one of the models in the Avenir fashion show looked very familiar, bringing applause from the audience when we realized that our host for the afternoon was rocking the runway in one of these fantastic outfits. Erin is both a member of the Ottawa Redblacks Dance Team and a part time model, so she was very proud to be showcasing her talented friends and colleagues at this event. When speaking with Erin, she mentioned that she was actually in Rowes’ first ever fashion show, so she has been watching Rowes grow as a designer and was proud that this local fashion company was able to make an appearance at today’s luncheon. Once the fashion shows were over ladies crowded the clothing racks, tried on clothes, made purchases, and collected business cards for reference for future shopping trips. All three designers even donated one item of clothing each to the silent auction, sparking lots of interest and lots of bidding.
Every single item at the silent auction was sold, and I even walked away with a gorgeous water colour painting that had been donated by local artist Sheryl Luxenburg. Other donors for the silent auction included: Sparkle Designs, Pure Yoga, Pure Kitchen, Fred Astaire Dance Studio, The National Arts Center, Mezzanotte, Colonnade Pizza, Cartier Place Suite Hotel, Cafe Mezzaluna, Hair Junkie, Yuk Yuks, Ottawa Fury, Edible Arrangements, Moneca Kaiser Design Build, Boss Arts, and Magpie Jewellery. With all donated items sold, Erin will be able to update the Smile-O-Meter on her Miss Universe Canada 2017 Delegate blog. As she updates the amount of funds raised at FABULOUS, her Smile-O-Meter will indicate how many surgeries her fundraising efforts from this summer will be able to provide to operation smile. With this last fundraiser finished, I asked Erin what she plans to do next: “Sleep,” she said. She also admitted that she was looking forward to changing out of her dress and high heels into some comfy leggings and sneakers. Well, she certainly worked hard today so I’d say she most definitely deserves a good night’s sleep. Well done Erin! You were FABULOUS!
