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THANK YOU!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for all your support of Fashion for Paws!
Together, we raised more than $725,000 for homeless animals, and I individually raised more than $43,000! WOW!
The event was a huge success – I was honored to walk down the runway with my friend, Peter’s dog Milo! He was such a good boy the entire time! Thanks to Nicole Miller and Tyson’s Galleria for providing the adorable skirt and top I wore, Judith Bright Jewelry for the gorgeous jewels, and on and on and on!
But this could not have been done without, of course, the beautiful, talented and passionate Tara de Nicolas. This woman is the brains and the beauty behind the production. Aba Kwawu of the Aba Agency, Syzygy Events for the production and stage, TOKA Salon for fixing our hair and makeup and SO SO many more!
And for the celebrities that showed up! Marie Osmond, who actually adopted an adorable puppy from Washington Humane! Ashlan Gorse of E! who served as our emcee for the night and many other notables in attendance. If you made it to the event, you know how much fun it was! But don’t worry – here are a ton of pictures! http://nikkibontv.shutterfly.com/1020
Although it was not about me, I do have to mention that thanks to all your donations, I was named Washingtonian Fundraiser of the Year for raising the most money ever by one person for the event. So thank you!
The event also got a TON of press! Here are just a few from the likes of Washington Post, Elle, E!, People, Bloomberg,
Fashion for Paws 2012 Media Clips so far:
Elle: http://fashion.elle.com/culture/2012/04/16/doggy-style-or-canine-couture/?photo=8#jump
Bloomberg: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-04-16/scene-in-d-dot-c-dot-marie-osmond-at-fashion-for-paws
Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/reliable-source/post/fashion-for-paws-a-young-peoples-gala-comes-of-age/2012/04/15/gIQAzQR5JT_blog.html
Revamp.com: http://www.revamp.com/story.php?StoryID=1740
Bisnow Scene: http://www.bisnow.com/washington_dc_the_scene_news_story.php?p=23246
People: http://www.peoplepets.com/people/pets/article/0,,20587475,00.html
PamelasPunch: http://www.pamelaspunch.com/what-drives-fashion-for-paws/
NBC4: http://ohmygoff.tv/theblog/marie-osmond-adopts-puppy-at-fashion-for-paws/
ABC7: http://ht.ly/aicsY
Biz Journal: http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/print-edition/2012/04/27/the-back-page.html?s=image_gallery
Fresh FM/CBS Radio: http://947freshfm.radio.com/2012/04/15/marie-osmond-takes-the-fashion-for-paws-stage-leaves-with-a-puppy/
Fresh FM/CBS Video: http://947freshfm.radio.com/2012/04/16/fashion-for-paws-2012-video/
Hollywood on the Potomac: http://hollywoodonthepotomac.blogspot.com/2012/04/by-georgeshe-did-it.html?spref=fb&fb_source=message
Washington Life: http://washingtonlife.smugmug.com/2012PHOTOS/Fashion-For-Paws-2012-pt-2/22529534_rWnfdn#!i=1802616852&k=mS4g8TM
F4P Runway Recap video: http://youtu.be/dOQnB3LkfX8
DC Magazine: http://www.modernluxury.com/dc/scene/going-the-dogs/img49707
Guest of a Guest: http://teddyhilton.com/2012-04-16-marie-osmond-adopted-a-crazy-cute-puppy-from-a-fashion-show?relate
Teddy Hilton: http://teddyhilton.com/2012-04-16-marie-osmond-adopted-a-crazy-cute-puppy-from-a-fashion-show?relate
National Enquirer: http://www.nationalenquirer.com/celebrity/marie-osmond-adoption-secret
Georgetown Dish: http://www.thegeorgetowndish.com/thedish/nbm-hosts-fashion-paws-fundraiser
Getty Images: http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/Search/Search.aspx?EventId=142978265&EditorialProduct=Entertainment
K Street Kate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=0-IqaBLLX74
Socially Superlative: http://sociallysuperlative.com/2012/05/01/6th-annual-fashion-for-paws-runway/
And, last but not least, here’s just a little shout-out to all my donors:
-Martin Bryant
-Tonya Wallace
-Chris and Nicki Capbert of Cinderollies
-Megan Healey
-Alyce Burdine
-Laura Burdine
-Melissa Etezadi
-Justin Williams
-Ajun Rishi
-Sunanda Patel
-Yaode Tseng
-Ananda Rochita
-Becky Ostroski
-Shervin Jalali
-Torrey Shallcross
-Mark Rucker
-Gloria Phung
-Kevin Riordan
-Natalie Marano
-Timmy O’Brien
-Cuong Phung
-Peter Phung
-Larry Hackett
-Kendall Gemmill
-Jummy Olabanji
-Mark Drapeau
-Mike Manzo
-Matt O’Neill
-Cameron Gray
-Michelle Parrish
-Burke Hanson
-Michael and Jessi Betz
-John Lee
-Khalid al-Faisal
-Patrick Merchent
-Michael Ragland
-Beau Alford
-William Harrod
-Donna Rice
Cupcakes for a Cause
As if you need another reason to eat delicious cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake. But here you go… Proceeds go to homeless animals!
Buy a Fashion for Paws cupcake from Georgetown Cupcakes, and 100% of the proceeds will go to Fashion for Paws, benefiting Washington Humane Society!
YUM!
F4P – It’s Almost Time!
Get ready! I’m so excited I can’t stand it! Still want to help make a difference? Donate here! NO amount is too small!
Wagging to the Runway: Fashion For Paws Breaks Fundraising Records Before April 14th Event With Over $556,000 Raised
(Washington, DC – April 3, 2012) – On April 14, 2012 from 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. the Fashion for Paws (F4P) 6th annual Runway Show event designed by Syzygy Events International will take place at the National Building Museum to benefit the Washington Humane Society (WHS). Since the event’s February 6th fundraising launch, F4P models, sponsors and committee have raise more than $556,000 for the cause, surpassing the $529,000 raised in 2011, closing in on the $625,000 goal for 2012. WHS plans to meet the goal with an impressive silent auction and spectacular prizes with a Golden Ticket opportunity.
E! News Now anchor and E! News personality Ashlan Gorse will host the puppy-studded event. A Hollywood insider and permanent fixture on the red carpet who has covered the Oscars, Emmys, Golden Globes and Grammys, Ashlan is a true animal lover, adopting her beloved dog from a rescue group 1 and a half years ago. Fashion For Paws plans to announce other star guests closer to the event date.
This year, F4P secured over 60 top-notch participants, raising a minimum of $5,000 each to model clothes from the retailers of Tysons Galleria. Over 45 dog models will be dressed by Wagtime, LLC. Five high-roller model fundraising participants will duke it out for top fundraising spots; 1 - Susan Ostrowski ($26,200.00), 2 - Nikki Burdine ($20,020.00), 3 - Sara Nielsen ($17,888.00), 4 - Lindsey Becker ($16,590.00), 5 - Mark Rothman ($16,020.00).
The event will be co-chaired by Michelle Benaim, Dr. Ashley Hughes, Tommy McFly and Sara Nielsen, with Pamela Sorensen as our Master of Ceremonies.
With over 60 VIP seated tables of six people ranging from $3000 to $10,000, table diners will be served a three-course meal by sponsor Design Cuisine and will sip free-flowing Moet Imperial. The event will have 450 VIP runway show style seats behind the tables and 800 general attendees in the main section. The Benefactors reception for all VIP’s, sponsors and table buyers will begin at 7:00 p.m. and all other F4P guests will begin at 8:00 p.m. Due to the level of VIP attendees and excitement of a SURPRISE VIP in attendance, F4P security has increased by 4x what was in years past, thanks to security sponsor, Thiero & Associates LLC.
More than 1700 F4P attendees will revel in the transformation of the National Building Museum on April 14th, designed by Syzygy Events International, Digital Lightning, Design Cuisine and Edge Floral Event Designers, etc., donating a combined total of more than $350,000 in set design, production, lighting, sound, staging, food, flowers and more. F4P’s volunteer Chief Creative Officer and Partner of Syzygy Events International, Marielle Shortell, is responsible for envisioning and executing the entire layout and design of the event, “This year’s Fashion for Paws design was inspired by the ‘very sexy’ Victoria’s secret campaign in Miami and will include a vivid Floridian sunset of colors- ranging from hot fuchsia , blood orange , vibrant yellow, and lime green- in an exciting ombré effect,” said Shortell.
Opening the show this year the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) will outdo their collection from last year. FIDM will create ten individual human and doggie couture pieces to open the show before our F4P models, dressed in Tysons Galleria’s luxury retailers from Elie Tahari, Nicole Miller, Betsey Johnson , 7 for all Mankind , Karen Millen, Sarar, Basler, Aram , Anne Fontaine to Vineyard Vines take the runway. Hair will be done by Toka Salon & Day Spa and make-up with be done by Bride Makeover.
Thank you to our F4P Runway Show Sponsors: Syzygy Events International, Digital Lightning, Design Cuisine, Audi, Danaher, Nave & Associates, Moet Imperial, bisnow media corp, Kim Crawford Wines, Centurion Group DC, Cherry Blossom Events, Mars Foundation, SVEDKA Vodka, UBS Wealth Management/William B. Finnerty, Edge Floral Event Designers, Georgetown Cupcake, Washington Fine Properties/Nelson Marban, ABC7-WJLA, Alliance Interactive, Fresh FM, Tysons Galleria, Toka Salon & Spa, The Aba Agency, Qatar Airways, Reston Limo, Teatro Goldoni, Bride Makeover, RNDC, Cities Restaurant, Onomonomedia, PamelasPunch, Wagtime, Thiero & Associates LLC, Moshe Zusman Photography, THE Artist Agency, FIDM, George, Atlantic Valet, Pink Berry, Pretzel Crisps, Love Pops, Professional Bartending School, CA Indoor, Renu Med Spa, My Truck Buddy, Uber.
For more information and a full list of 2012 models, committee members and sponsors please visit: www.fashionforpaws.org and click on the Annual Runway Show and/or call or e-mail the media contact above.
Fashion for Paws® (F4P) benefiting the Washington Humane Society (WHS) began in 2007 with the first spring Runway Show raising $1.5 million dollars so far. In the fall of 2009 building off of the brand already created through the annual spring Runway Show, Fashion for Paws launched into a year round program, raising funds all year long through an array of themed fringe events, product merchandising, corporate sponsorships, individual gifts, and social marketing/new media, in addition to the annual Runway Show based in Washington, DC.
WHS, the only Congressionally-chartered animal welfare agency in the United States, has been the Washington, DC area’s leading voice for animals since 1870. As the only open-access shelter in the Nation’s Capital, WHS provides comfort and care to nearly 30,000 animals each year through its broad range of programs and services including sheltering, adoption, spay and neuter, CatNiPP, humane law enforcement, lost and found, human–animal therapy programs and humane education in city schools. Visit: www.washhumane.org for more info on WHS.
And after the party…
…is another party. Attending the #1 event in DC, Fashion for Paws? See you there. And don’t forget, the official after party is at my favorite DC bar, George! (Pictured – newsletter for George…from F4P!)
Keep calm, and party on for the pups.
Fashion for Paws – 1 week away!
We are just a little over a week away from the big event – Fashion for Paws!
Thank you to all who have donated – I’ve officially raised more money for the Humane Society than I did my first year as a reporter. Right now, I’ve raised just over $20,000 for the homeless animals of the DC area. THANK YOU to all who have donated!
Looking forward to the big event – I’ll be walking down the runway wearing a dress by Nicole Miller (yes!) and my best accessory – will be my friend Peter’s chihuahua (pictured above). How adorable, seriously?! Can’t wait to see what outfit the pup will be dressed in!
Years past – I’ve walked with Fred, my friend Barb & Josh’s bulldog and Jarhead, my parents chocolate lab! (pictured below)
Still want to donate? Much obliged! You can throw cash my way until April 13th at 5pm! Donate here!
GET READY!
Fundraising for Fashion for Paws is here! Can you help? NO amount is too small! $5 can go a long way… skip your latte, and send it my way! It’s THE biggest fundraiser and THE #1 event in Washington, D.C. All ticket sales go towards my fundraising goal, so if you’re planning on going to the big event, buy your ticket through me! Can’t make it? Any donations is MUCH appreciated!
Super Models!
I am no model – and at 5’4” and 28 years old, there’s no hope of reaching 5’10”. So while I’ll never strut the runway Adrianna Lima-style, I do skip down the runway each year on behalf of Fashion for Paws, to raise money for the animals of Washington, D.C.! It’s an event I’ve been involved with for 4 years now, raising more than $16,000 myself, with the help of my GENEROUS family and friends. And last year, the genius folks at F4P decided to crown some of us fundraisers “super models!” Not because of our long legs (which I definitely don’t have), but because of the money we raised. Us ‘super models’ get to grace the pages of a calendar benefiting Fashion for Paws and the thousands of animals that need a new home.
Well that calendar is set to be released tomorrow! The big unveiling is at the Four Seasons Hotel’s M29 LIFESTYLE Boutique (Corner of M & 29th Streets, NW) in Washington, D.C. tomorrow from 12 – 4pm. Also at the event- holiday pet/family portraits will be created, all of course benefiting F4P. Four-legged guests are welcome, too 
And be sure to check out the month of June! 
And p.s., Save-the-date:
Fashion for Paws 2012 will be April 14th at the National Building Museum in DC. Our goal this year: $625,000. Last year we raised a whopping $529,740 in 2011!!
Thank you to EVERYONE for supporting this cause!
More info about Fashion for Paws here or on their Facebook page here.
Bigger, Better
It’s our biggest goal yet! $625,000. But I don’t think it’s a goal we can’t reach: In the past 5 years of F4P, we’ve raised $524,000 for the Washington Humane Society. So for 2012, we’re reaching for the stars.
This is just a heads up, so you can start saving your $$ for this amazing cause!
Interested in attending the big event in DC on April 14th? Stay tuned for the official launch of ticket sales. And make sure to buy your tickets from me, it’s helps me reach my goal of $6,000!
The 6th annual runway show will be at the National Building Museum to benefit the Washington Humane Society. This year, the event will be Co-Chaired by Michelle Benaim, Tommy McFly, Dr. Ashley Hughes and Sara Nielsen.
About Fashion for Paws:
The fashion show and fundraising event features 60 notable personalities as the models on the runway. On February 8th models will set out to each raise a minimum of $5,000 in the eight weeks leading up to the event in order to secure a spot in the runway show. To date, F4P already has 73 models signed-up to raise funds for a chance to model in the runway show. Models also compete in a friendly fundraising competition, in 2011 Sara Nielsen secured the top female fundraiser title raising $20,000 and Tommy McFly secured the spot as the top male fundraiser, raising more than $12,000.
With the rapid expansion of the F4P platform over the course of five years there has also been a change of venue for the annual spring Fashion for Paws Runway Show from its previous venues – the French and Italian Embassies, each with an 800-person capacity – to the National Building Museum in 2011, with a 1700-person capacity. Notwithstanding its recent doubling in size, the 2011 F4P Spring Runway Show sold out with 900 guests in general admission, 400 in the VIP runway style seated section and 400 in our seated dinner table section.
Tickets will go on sale February 8th, the same day that the model fundraising campaign begins. Tickets will range from $95 for general admission, $250 VIP seat, with tables starting at $3,000 for a table of six people, to VVIP tables for 10 people for $10,000 next to the runway.
Thank you to our 2012 F4P Runway Show sponsors already on board: Syzygy Event Productions, Digital Lightening, Design Cuisine, Edge Floral Event Designers, Tysons Galleria, SVEDKA Vodka, Republic National Distribution Company, Centurion Group DC, LLC, Alliance Interactive, Cherry Blossom Events, Toka Salon & Day Spa, Aba Agency, FRESH FM, WagTime, Moshe Zusman Photography, CA Indoor Advertising, Barkley Square, FIDM, Thiero & Associates and Atlantic Valet.
Also like Fashion for Paws on Facebook! www.facebook.com/FashionforPaws
Get Ready!
F4P 2012 Sponsor Packet is here!!!
Fashion for Paws fundraising is about to begin. I’m SO excited. To get you on board, Fashion for Paws has a fabulous sponsorship packet all ready to go…interested in being a sponsor? Check out our gorgeous sponsorship packet…and give us your money!
More about Fashion for Paws here.
Fashion for a Cause
Fashion for a good cause? Yes please!
Starting tomorrow (Wednesday) for 24 hours only Rue La La is donating the proceeds for their upcoming Spa-Tini event tickets at Morton’s, Washington D.C., on September 14th to Fashion for Paws! This deal will be on sale starting Wednesday for 24 hours ONLY through Rue La La ! The event will sell out–there’s only 200 tickets available!
To make sure your purchase benefits Fashion for Paws and the Washington Humane Society, PLEASE use this link http://www.ruelala.com/invite/tdenicolas
A big kudos to Rue La La for being so generous and helping homeless animals!
