United Way takes on real meaning
18.05.12
NORTH TONAWANDA—As JoAnn Mierzwa begins her second year as executive director of the United Way of the Tonawandas, her work in two neighboring cities in separate counties now includes a new musical-revue-style fundraising fashion show set to become an annual event.
“It pulled together aspects of the life here in the Tonawandas. Things that are unique here to the Tonawandas: Vintage clothes. Performance art,” said Mierzwa, who took the post in June 2010.
A week ago today, her agency sponsored the “Fashion Extravaganza” in the Riviera Theatre. The event was organized by the Webster Street Hip Gypsy clothing boutique— two of the three owners are Mierzwa’s cousins.
About 400 people bought $15 tickets, coming to what developed into a unusual happening, with the audience cheering on local models, yelling things like, “That’s beautiful. You’ll see it on Facebook!”
“It wasn’t just a silent, polite, clapping audience,” said Mierzwa. “It was very involved.”
Source: Buffalo News