St Gerard Campus hold fashion show fundraiser

Pat Greenfield reported to Historic City News that the annual fashion show, one of the largest fundraisers for the St Gerard Campus, was held on Saturday, December 17th at World Golf Village Renaissance Hotel.

Over 40 participants modeled clothing furnished by Jones of New York, Saks Off 5th, Hart strings, Men’s Warehouse, Rochelle’s and Panama Hat Company.

Luncheon was served to approximately 680 guests, after which the Fashion Show began.

A silent auction was held as well as a raffle for a grand prize of $5,000.

The non-profit St. Gerard’s Campus is a crisis pregnancy center, state licensed high school for unwed mothers, a state licensed nursery and a foster home for those girls who have nowhere else to live.

Sheriff David Shoar has called St Gerard Campus “a hidden gem in the community”. He has stated that this facility saves the community thousands and thousands of tax dollars by rescuing girls from welfare — making them into productive citizens. Instead of falling into the illegal drug scene, possibly even prostitution or other illegal activities, often mother and baby can be reunited with the father, and a family is created as a positive force in society.

Thirty-one students are attending the school at this time. After graduation, over 90% of the young women go on to college. Those not living on campus are bused to school by volunteer drivers in the school’s vans.

Caroline Wolff serves, without compensation, as executive director of the campus; which is funded entirely by grants and faithful donors. St Gerard Campus has received no federal, state, county or city funding in its serving its 28-year-long mission of saving babies. Over 29,000 babies have been saved according to the organization. The yearly budget is $900,000.

Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News contributed photograph by Pat Greenfield