Arts & Culture LA Charities

Celebrities Turn Heads on the Catwalk at “Runway for Life®”

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Nancy O'DellFashion, film and fame join forces as top models and celebrities help raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. Big names, big fashion and big hearts lit up Beverly Hills October 11, 2008, as celebrities partnered with Disney at the Fifth Annual Runway for Life. One of the largest fundraising events for St. Jude, Runway for Life has raised nearly $6 million since its inception with the help of its famous supporters. For the past five years models and actors alike have donned fashions and paraded down the catwalk in honor of the cutting-edge pediatric research and treatment facility.

Haylie Duff, Hilary Duff, Jaime Pressly, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Selena Gomez, Joely Fisher, Dick Van Dyke, Brittany Snow, Cybill Shepherd, Jason Alexander, Daisy Fuentes, Jonny Lee Miller, Natasha Henstridge,  Mayor Vilagarosa and many more attended the “Runway meets Broadway” and took part in the fashion extravaganza, chaired by Robert Ellis and Terre Thomas, with co-chairs Marlo and Tony Thomas.Johnny Lee Miller, Cybil Shepard

The fun-filled evening featured an elegant gala dinner and a one-of-a-kind fashion show. Top models and celebrities strutted their stuff in a fairytale wonderland setting as the magical evening celebrated the fantasy-filled world of Disney. The event was presented by Disney in anticipation of the upcoming release of its full-length CG-animated film “Tinker Bell,” available on DVD and Blu-Ray™ Hi-Def October 28, 2008. The unforgettable runway show featured stunts, special effects and dance sequences from some of Disney’s most beloved pictures.

Selina Gomez, Mayor Villagiarosa

With women’s fashions by Robert Ellis and menswear by Brooks Brothers, makeup by CARGO Cosmetics and hair by Roy Teeluck’s team from Nexxus Salon Hair Care, the gala dinner and fashion extravaganza were expected to draw 1,000 guests and raise more than $1 million. 100% of the net proceeds from the star-studded evening will benefit St. Jude.

Kathy Najimy and daughter

Kathy Najimy and daughter

St. Jude provides research and treatment for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. All patients who are accepted for treatment at the hospital are treated without regard to the family’s ability to pay. St. Jude is America’s second-largest healthcare charity, and employs some of the field’s most gifted researchers.

Runway for Life has become one of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s best-known fundraising events. It allows celebrities a chance to walk the runway – for a good cause.

Phil Donahue, Marlo Thomas
Visit www.stjude.org for more information on St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Photographs taken for LA’s The Place Magazine by Grover Yancey.

About the author

Helen M. Ryan