Valparaiso University is internationally recognized for being one of the most diverse campuses in America. What better way to celebrate this diversity with a combination of fashion and philanthropy? Valparaiso University’s Business Law Society held Catwalk for the Cause on the evening of Thursday, April 2, in the Harre Union Ballroom. The event served as a benefit fundraiser for the Visiting Nurse Association of Porter County’s Meals on Wheels initiative.
The purpose of VU’s Business Law Society is to promote its students to the business and corporate community, as well as spread awareness of potential opportunities available to students in the many different areas of business law. In doing so, the Business Law Society interacts with several local businesses and charities, one being the Visiting Nurse Association of Porter County. Meals on Wheels provides tasty and nutritious home-delivered meal services to people in need from Monday through Friday. Deliveries are made in Valparaiso, South Haven, Chesterton, Portage, Hebron, and Kouts.
VNA Director of Development Maria Galka said, “We are thrilled to be here today. All the proceeds that are raised today go to support Meals on Wheels. This is the second year they’ve picked to have the fundraising event in honor of Meals on Wheels.”
The Business Law Society opened up the evening by offering appetizers and allowed time for attendees to participate in an auction. Items such as designer sunglasses, gift baskets, and autographs from professional athletes were up for grabs. Additionally, student designers were able to answer questions and interact with attendees. During this time, the student models were hard at work, preparing for their time to shine.
President of VU’s Law Society Jeremy Hahn said, “All the models are either students or faculty. A couple of the retailers are student designers, so we are excited to showcase their talent. The fashion show is a great way to celebrate the diversity our school has to offer, as well as raise money for an important cause.”
The fashion show included clothing from student designers, Banana Republic (a sponsor of the event), and different cultures. VU’s international students dressed in their traditional clothing and represented fashion from a number of countries. This interesting culmination of clothing showcased represented something more than the fashion show. It demonstrated the beauty that derives when different forces come together to fight for a cause.
Student designer and VU Law Student Body President Jacobie Whitley addressed the importance of this during the fashion show. He stated, “It is extremely important to me that my clothing stands on a strong platform. It is important for us to address prevalent issues in our world, and one of these problems is hunger. One out of six Americans struggles with hunger. Meals on Wheels is making its efforts to solve this problem in our community.”
Overall, the event was a success. VU Business Law Society was able to combat a pressing issue through the use of creativity and appreciation. The event illustrated VU students’ knack for combining philanthropy, diversity, and art.