Annual Strut Your Style luncheon set

<p>Julie Smith/For the Democrat</p><p>Shay Wahl, one of the volunteer models at the 2017 Strut Your Style Luncheon and Fashion Show, moves across the runway in a satin face chiffon dress from Ana Marie Bridal in downtown Jefferson City. This year’s event is set for Oct. 28 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel and Convention Center.</p>

Julie Smith/For the Democrat

Shay Wahl, one of the volunteer models at the 2017 Strut Your Style Luncheon and Fashion Show, moves across the runway in a satin face chiffon dress from Ana Marie Bridal in downtown Jefferson City. This year’s event is set for Oct. 28 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel and Convention Center.

Ready to show off the latest styles, Mid-Missouri breast cancer survivors will walk the runway as part of the annual Strut Your Style Breast Cancer Survivors Show and Luncheon.

The annual event is set for 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel and Convention Center, 415 W. McCarty St. in Jefferson City.

It features local residents who have survived their own fight with breast cancer modeling fashions from a variety of stores, as well as a keynote speaker, silent auction and luncheon.

Strut Your Style raises funds for the Community Breast Care Project, which helps people diagnosed with breast cancer in Cole, Callaway, Osage, Miller, Morgan, Moniteau and Camden counties.

Sherrie Brant, the event's lead organizer, said the organization provides $500 for each patient to help offset the mounting costs associated with treatment and recovery. The project has donated $200,000 to 400 breast cancer patients since 2007.

Last year the Strut Your Style event donated $27,000 to the project, which seeks to provide educational, financial and emotional support to those in Central Missouri on breast health and breast cancer treatment.

But this year, Brant said, she'd like to expand where the proceeds go. She's hoping to donate at least $20,000 to the Community Breast Care Project from this year's event and perhaps find another Mid-Missouri breast cancer organization to donate the remaining funds to. The most important thing for Brant is the money goes to help people here in Mid-Missouri.

The event will start with a silent auction and opportunities to speak with medical experts from a variety of area health care providers, before serving lunch and starting the fashion show.

Brant said the silent auction will include some big items, including a black mink poncho from The Fur Center in St. Louis valued at $2,000; a flight package to travel to New York City; a one-week stay at a condo at the Lake of the Ozarks; a travel package to Branson; dinner for six at Arris' Bistro, Domenico's or Madison's Cafe; as well as jewelry, sports tickets and more. Brant noted the furs being auctioned off will be available for viewing at the Capitol Plaza Hotel from 3-5 p.m. Oct. 27.

The keynote speech will be given by Derlene Hirtz, a life coach and founder of You.Empowered Services. The models will walk the runway, showing off the latest items from several shops, including Chico's, American Shoe, Carrie's Hallmark Shop, Dillard's, Samuel's Tuxedo & Gifts, Southbank and My Sister's Circus.

The show also provides an opportunity for local survivors to get to know each other, Brant said, and share their experiences with others who truly understand what they've gone through. The models will share their own stories and what they learned from the process during the fashion show itself.

"Cancer, no matter what type you've had, the experiences are very similar - the anxiousness, the strife, the worry," Brant said, noting how these women are more than just survivors; they are more than this one diagnosis and experience. "We try to bring them through that a little bit with the show."

To attend the event, which costs $35 per person, call Jodi at 573-418-0457 or Dawn at 573-896-5500. Reservations must be made by Monday.