By Nanette Craig
Item Correspondent
March 11, 2008 12:36 am
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The New York City fashion scene made a splash to support the Walker County Habitat for Humanity Fashion Show at the Old Town Theatre.
“Good Looks for a Good Cause” was a fundraising partnership with the local Habitat for Humanity chapter and the Family and Consumer Sciences Department at Sam Houston State University.
“Under the direction of Harriet Griggs, her fashion promotion class did all the planning, the organizing and the promotion of the fashion show,” said Marge Rex, Habitat board member and fundraising coordinator.
“We started working on this project in mid-January,” Griggs said.
“It’s been a push, but my students were extremely resourceful.”
Forty-nine of her fashion promotion students worked on the show.
“They’ve given 110 percent to this project,” said Griggs.
One such student was Sheri Biddick. She was in charge of ticket sales, making nametags and getting together the many nice door prizes from the community together.
“During the planning it was so stressful, but now it’s nice to see the benefits of our work,” said Biddick, who added that the whole experience was a learning opportunity and was a lot of fun.
“It is great! We had a great turnout,” said Biddick, watching models she knew and cheering them on.
Speaking of the models, all were from the local community with a sprinkling of students from SHSU and a special guest model from New York City. Not only were the models local, area merchants donated all the fashions, with the exception of two outfits.
Through Habitat board connections, Monica Watkins, a fashion model based in New York City and a Huntsville native, participated in the fashion show.
She donated two pieces by New York designer Keith Lissner to be given away in door prize drawings.
The crowd went wild when Watkins took the stage in a never-reproduced Keith Lissner black ensemble featuring 18-K gold-plated buttons.
The retail value of the dress was $2,000 and a lucky winning ticket winner walked away with it.
“Whenever I get the chance to come home and help out a good cause, I will definitely do it, said Watkins. “This is an amazing cause.”
She also said the opportunity to help give someone a home that never knew they could have one is an amazing thing.
“I feel honored they asked me to be a part of this event,” she said.
Next year, the Walker County Habitat for Humanity will be celebrating 20 years of existence.
“In 1989, there were some far-sighted individuals who studied and read about Habitat and felt we needed a chapter in Walker County,” Rex said.
They applied and started the chapter that year, Rex said.
During the nearly 20 years, 12 homes have been built, and no. 13 is under construction.
Volunteer labor and donations, whether it is materials or money, are what makes the building of these homes happen.
“Volunteers are a pretty independent bunch. They show up whenever their wives give them a kitchen task, and leave when they want to, and you can’t suspend them, dock their pay or fire them,”said construction manager Al Sailer.
Sailer said they build a house on almost solely volunteer work.
When they get through, the house is not just handed over as a freebie to the new occupants; to pay for the cost of construction materials, the new owner signs for a mortgage to be paid in 10 to 20 years.
Mattie Austin, the first Habitat homeowner in Huntsville, just paid off her mortgage in December 2007.
The 13th house, soon to be the new home of Else Johnson and her teen-age twins, Kendall and Kendra can’t be finished soon enough for them. Due to weather delays, it has seemed like a long wait for the Johnsons.
Johnson has been employed with the Huntsville ISD custodial staff for 20 years. The last eight of those years have been spent at Scott Johnson Elementary.
“Hopefully in about two months or so, we can dedicate that house and turn it over to the owner,” said Sailer.
Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization with the goal of providing housing to families in need. Habitat has built more than 225,000 houses around the world, providing more than 1 million people in more than 3,000 communities with good, safe, affordable shelter.
The Walker County Habitat for Humanity chapter and the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences want to thank all who donated their time, money and support for the fashion show.
For ways to volunteer, call Al Sailer at, (936) 291-8862.
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