A recent evening of fashionable fun was an avenue of fundraising for a worthy cause.

The annual FUEL Fashion Show hosted by Tiger Lily Boutique at First National Bank has been a yearly event to secure funding to support an important initiative for school children who experience food insecurity. There are many children in the school system who rely on it for meals, meaning extended periods such as weekends or holiday breaks can leave them struggling to find their next meal. To address this need, the FUEL Program has stepped up to provide bags of food for students to take home over long breaks.

“We started supporting the FUEL Program because my daughters and I talked about starting this fashion show, but we really wanted to support a specific organization at the same time,” organizer Kari Burnett said of the importance of the FUEL program. “My girls mentioned the FUEL Program since I was a part of the school system and saw how much need there was for feeding hungry children. I don't think the average person realizes just how great that need is.”

Kataen Shockley gave a speech during the event detailing her platform, “Feeding Friends,” which is closely related to the FUEL Program. Shockley emphasized the staggering rate of childhood hunger and the pressing need for the community to become aware of and urgent in addressing the problem.

The FUEL Fashion Show has become a source of much-needed funding for the program and raised approximately $2K during last year’s event, which is also the amount generated this year. This money will furnish over 300 bags of food for the program.

In addition to gathering money for the cause, Tiger Lily Boutique representatives Kathryn Carden and Katelyn Wortman brought all the latest in fall fashion to be showcased in the lobby of First National Bank in downtown McMinnville. With the help of fourteen models, the trendiest layered looks, sweaters and athleisure was displayed for the crowd.

From cat walk to clothing rack, the looks shown by models were available for purchase from Tiger Lily’s shopping experience and the perfect accessories to complement any outfit were offered by Abram’s Jewelry. Warren County High School’s culinary students, Teacher Linda Parris and Chef Frank Horton provided the catered food for the event, offering hors d’oeuvres and elegant desserts for guests’ enjoyment.

“We were very happy with this year's event. The turnout was great,” said Burnett. “We are very appreciative to everyone who came out for the event as well as those who donated or purchased a ticket. Our sponsors, Tiger Lily Boutique and First National Bank, were essential in making this fashion show a success and we can't wait to partner for next year's event.”