by Lorie Kleiner Eckert
Two of my grandgirls graduated from high school this spring. I am proud of both of them for wonderful high school careers including extra-curricular activities enjoyed by our whole family. There is a part of their experience that needs to be highlighted for them – and for everyone – so after a smidge of proud-Marmel-boasting, I will get to that.
But first, let’s talk about Avery, our thespian. Over the years we spent many a day or evening in her audience. A couple of all-time-favorite roles were seeing her as the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland in her younger years and then all grown up as Tanya in Mamma Mia. As a teenager, she also worked with elementary school kids as they prepared for their annual play. That made my chest swell with pride!
Meanwhile, Lila was a cheerleader and dance team member. Will I ever forget the dance competition in Columbus that was exactly one week before the convention center closed down due to the pandemic? Or that our cheerleading team was fabulous even though our football team was not? They lost every game that season!
But there was a winner at every home game and it is the part of the girls’ high school career that I mentioned and want to talk about the most. At those games, there was a bake sale that Avery spearheaded as part of her involvement in a major fund-raising event called Fashion for the Cure.
FFTC benefits the Dragonfly Foundation which provides financial, emotional, and practical support for pediatric cancer patients and their families at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. The committee fundraises throughout the year with an annual Fashion Show as its culmination. The home-game-bake-sales were a part of that effort.
Let me wow everyone with the fact that 2026 was the 20th annual fashion show. In 2024 the teenagers raised $85,000. In 2025 they raised $97,000. And in 2026 – I give you this one to the penny because I am so proud and amazed – they raised $124,530.61.
The evening of the Fashion Show is loads of fun. There are raffle baskets and silent auction items for guests to look at as they snack on delicious desserts that have been donated for the evening. And while you are noshing, you also have the opportunity to buy tickets for split-the-pot.
And then there is the Fashion Show. It starts with student designers showing their work. This segment gives some of the Dragonflies – the kids being treated for cancer – an opportunity to strut the runway in t-shirts they have created.
Two more segments follow, both with high school models, first in sportswear from local stores and next in formal wear. In every case, a male and a female student are paired and they have some sort of an antic they perform – think striking a funny pose – as they take their turn on the runway. The end of the show features teachers and administrators in formal wear – also striking funny poses, also getting laughs and cheers from the audience.
So much fun! But so much more than that!
Volunteer work is a win-win situation. Of course, the non-profit organization gets the funds they need to do their important work, but the volunteer wins too. I learned this from my mom’s example. For decades I watched her do volunteer work at her temple without understanding what she was really up to. While I thought she was making sales at the temple’s gift shop and/or cataloging books in its library what she was doing instead, was making friends and building a community. Suffice it to say my mom’s funeral was a standing-room-only event.
My dad was highly involved in – and a big proponent of – volunteerism too. Indeed, when I was offered the opportunity to get in line to be Sisterhood President at my Temple, a five-year commitment, he said, “Don’t think twice. Grab it!” And so I did, following proudly in their footsteps.
It is with great joy that I see my grandkids do the same. Of my ten grandkids, the oldest five have all been involved with FFTC. It all started with Tillie, during her high school years. Then she got Avery involved. And I think Avery got Lila involved. And then those two got Leo and then Josh to be models in the fashion show.
Talk about a chest swelling with pride, my buttons are virtually popping! But more than that, this is a wonderful lifelong lesson to teach the kids.
It seems like their high school years were great – and I sure hope that is the case – but as they go through life, they will indeed hit lows. And in those moments, they may not know how to blast themselves out of whatever misery they are in. I say this: volunteer work to the rescue! What you give to an organization you will get back in friends and community. It really is a win-win. And at some points in time, it can be a life saver.
Volunteer job? Don’t think twice. Grab it!
