The kids of the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital rocked the runway Sunday afternoon at Dance Marathon’s Runway of Hope Kiddo Fashion Show.
The fashion show, which took place at the IMU, featured hospital patients, siblings, and friends as models. All the funds raised will go to children fighting cancer.
Benjamin Linden, the organizer of Sunday’s event, said the show was a great way to help the kids have a little fun while raising funds for the hospital.
“We get our kids to have fun and show who they are on the runway,” he said.
The event, Linden said, was a way for patients to take some time out of the hospital and enjoy an afternoon that didn’t revolve around treatment. The fashion show shows “everyone how much they rock,” he said.
The show is in its second year as a fundraiser for the organization and was moved to the IMU this year from the Coralville Marriott to boost student attendance.
Nathen Spitz, a hospital co-chair for Dance Marathon and the DJ for Sunday’s event, said the show not only raises funds for the organization’s efforts in fighting cancer but also increases awareness.
“We hope to raise money for the kids fighting pediatric cancer and also raise awareness for the community and University of Iowa students and families so that we can get more and more people in line with our mission to help fight pediatric cancer,” he said.
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The show featured four rounds of fashion: formal wear, Hawkeye gear, Dance Marathon merchandise, and a special Halloween costume round to help the kids celebrate the season.
Pamela Codd, a parent involved with Dance Marathon, said she liked that the event gave the children a chance to focus on things other than the hospital to help boost their spirits.
Codd’s 5-year-old son died in June 2013 from a rare form of liver cancer, and she honors his memory by continuing her involvement with Dance Marathon.
Her two other children also honored his memory by modeling in the show Sunday.
“It’s a nice way for them to get together with other kiddos and also represent their brother in a fun way,” she said.
Distractions from daily hospital life, such as the fashion show Runway of Hope, can help children getting treated at the hospital to see past their illness and fight through it, Codd said.
“For kiddos who are still going through treatment, whatever age they are, they are conscientious of how their body is changing, and so this gives them an opportunity to really show themselves off, not just in the outward appearance, but also to be in front of people and have them celebrated for what they are going through,” she said.