Funky Fashion Show raises more than $32,000 for PACE

Soma won Runway Ready with a dress made of swatches of materials and textures that they had used for testing. PROVIDED

The Funky Fashion Show raised an excess of $32,000 while showcasing one of a kind recycled material for the dresses a model wore.

Pace Center for Girls, Lee Community Engagement Coordinator Melanie Musick said the June 25 Funky Fashion Show was an amazing fun time.

“It was just fun. That was exactly what it was. To see how creative some of the people can be. It was definitely a team effort,” she said. “We had a committee involved in planning, businesses that signed up to create the dresses. We had the models, business and people that made donations for the silent, live auction and chance raffle.”

Three awards were given, two determined by the judges and one by attendees.

Musick said the Funkiest Fashion went to Cultural Park Theatre, which created a dress made of book passages with the bodies being the spine of the book. The look was completed with a book as a hat.

Funkiest Fashion went to Cultural Park Theatre, which created a dress made of book passages. The look was completed with a book as a hat. PROVIDED

Soma won Runway Ready with a dress made of swatches of materials and textures that they had used for testing.

The Cape Coral Animal Shelter won the People’s Choice Award for their dress creation, which was made out of dog and cat food bags.

Cape Coral Animal Shelter Executive Director Liz McCauley said although they have attended the event in the past, this is the first year they participated.

“We think it is a great cause, Pace for Girls,” she said. “We have some creative people here and thought we would try out hand at it.”

Between staff and volunteers, they collected cat and dog food bags, which were cut and folded before being glued all together.

The Cape Coral Animal Shelter won the People’s Choice Award for its dress creation, which was made out of dog and cat food bags. PROVIDED

“We had to clean them all first,” McCauley said. “We were doing it in my office at one point. A shelter dog that lives in my office, Roseanne, she was getting hungry just looking at it.”

The event was so much fun, she said.

“Melanie did a great job modeling. She looked really great. She had hair and makeup done for the occasion. Everyone was really excited. A bunch of us were there to cheer her on,” McCauley said. “We were happy to be a part of representing the shelter and helping on of our community agencies, like Pace, a great cause.”

Musick said for the first time the Pace girls created a dress, which was not part of the judging. She said the dress featured their point sheets, which they are awarded for attendance, class participation and getting their homework done.

“They took the point sheets and cut the Pace hearts out of those,” Musick said.

Pace Center for Girls Lee, in Fort Myers, “focuses on the gender specific needs of at risk girls in the Lee County area.”

“Pace Center for Girls provides a safe and supportive environment for girls to build healthy relationships, plan for their future and overcome histories of trauma,” its website states.

Services provided include outreach, Girls Leadership Council, goal setting and ongoing process monitoring, academic education, counseling and mental health services, service learning, career preparation and more.

Donations are welcome.

More information may be found at PaceCenter.org.