The University of Central Florida College of Nursing will host its second-annual fashion show fundraiser shopping event from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 27 at Bella Winter Park, a women’s boutique on Park Avenue.
The event will begin with a small reception, allowing guests to mingle and browse the store’s fashions and accessories. At 7 p.m., the associate dean for undergraduate affairs and three faculty members will take to the ‘catwalk’ and model Bella’s newest spring designs for college alumni, friends and fashion enthusiasts.
Store owner, Susan Johnson, is donating 10% of the store’s proceeds generated from the fashion show shopping event and select purchases made through Sunday, March 31 to the UCF College of Nursing student scholarship fund.
“I’m honored to show my support again this year by hosting this fashion show event, while giving back to our community and future nurses,” says Johnson. “My mother is a retired nurse and I know the commitment it takes in today’s world to become such a highly skilled medical professional.”
Katie Korkosz, director of development for the UCF College of Nursing, is very excited about this unique partnership the college has developed with Johnson and Bella Winter Park, and asks the Central Florida community to show its support again this year.
“The community will have four days to support this important fundraiser for our students,” said Korkosz. “Anyone who makes a purchase at Bella Winter Park from the 27th through the 31st of March can request to have 10% of their purchase donated to the UCF College of Nursing student scholarship fund. It’s a win-win partnership – and a lot of fun!”
Jean D’Meza Leuner, dean of the UCF College of Nursing, says scholarships help the college recruit and retain the best and brightest students. “Scholarship support is a critical factor that helps our students focus on their studies and the demands of a rigorous nursing education, which is especially important in today’s complex health care environment.”
Faculty model and associate professor Julee Waldrop says she was very nervous about modeling in the fashion show last year but with support and encouragement from her colleague Anne Norris, nursing professor and former teen runway model, she ended up having a great time. “I rarely shop for clothes in person so having a group of people there for fashion advice was so much fun. I am excited to do it again this year.”
In addition to Waldrop and Norris, Sigrid Ladores, a nursing instructor and Ph.D. candidate, will strut Bella’s catwalk again this year. Linda Hennig, associate dean for undergraduate affairs, will join them.
The fashion show shopping evening is an exclusive event open to college alumni, friends and fashion enthusiasts, but seating is limited and an RSVP is required. To register, e-mail nursingevents@ucf.edu or call 407-823-0671.
Bella Winter Park blends a pinch of Rodeo Drive, a dash of 5th and 43rd in New York, and a sprinkling of Old World charm for Winter Park’s most exclusive boutique. It all began with Johnson, and her passion for fashion that sent her in search of the country’s most fashion-forward designers, emerging trends and wardrobe must-haves. The result is delightfully packaged in Bella in beautiful downtown Winter Park. Bella is a smart collection of the country’s most noted and up-and-coming designers, housed in a welcoming boutique that pays homage to style at every turn.
Event location: Bella Winter Park, 329 N. Park Avenue, Suite 105, Winter Park, FL 32789
Photo: Models from last year’s event, (l to r) Anne Norris, Sigrid Ladores, Julee Waldrop, Heather Williams, and Bella Winter Park boutique owner Susan Johnson.