SHANNON URTNOWSKI
Living Editor
Style, sass and a touch of class. SavvyChicIII, a fundraising event for the Graduate School of Education and Psychology’s Center for the Family, promises to be a fun day of friends, fare and fashion.
At least, that is what president of the Friends of the Family League, the group putting the event together, and event coordinator Carol Wallace said.
Wallace created the annual event three years ago for the sole purpose of fundraising for the center and its efforts.
“The funds are used for student involvement at the center, and we are excited to know that students are benefiting from what the center has to offer,” Wallace said.
The league has been organizing SavvyChicIII for the past nine months. The day will consist of a fashion show, silent auction, luncheon, makeover production and much more for attendees to enjoy.
It will be held Nov. 15 at the Beverly Hills Hotel, and a number of celebrities, such as John Schneider from Dukes of Hazard, and professional stylists will be in attendance.
“This is primarily a women’s event, but we encourage everyone to come,” Wallace said.
Though this is the third SavvyChic the league has coordinated, Wallace said a number of surprises are in store for this year.
Pepperdine freshman Megan Runnels will be taking part in the makeover segment with her mother, Ginger Runnels, and grandmother, Amy Jo Runnels.
“I’m really excited to see what they’re going to do with the three generations,” Megan said.
“I’m excited because I like all those makeovers shows, and now I get to be in one.”
The three women will receive treatment from professional stylists and afterward will be presented to the crowd with before and after pictures.
At the fashion show, the league’s programming manager, Cameo Wallace, Carol Wallace’s daughter, said a variety of clothing styles will be showcased and available for purchase through the silent auction.
“This year there will be some casual clothing, business attire and other styles that appeal to every age group,” Wallace said. “It is really diverse.”
Another highlight of the event will be the honoring of Pat Boone, a thriving singer and actor in the 1950s whose fame rivaled that of Elvis Presley, and his wife Shirley Boone for their dedication and commitment to their family during their almost 54 years of marriage. Boone is a member of the Pepperdine University Board.
“The Boone family is so wonderful to honor,” Wallace said. “They are just such a wonderful representation of family.”
The Boone’s have four daughters, all of whom are married, and 15 grandchildren.
Boone is celebrating his 50th anniversary in the music business this year, and, despite his fame and often busy schedule, said family always came first for him and his wife.
“Our top priority is family, which is a close second to our faith in God,” Boone said.
Boone said the family’s core values were based around a strong relationship with God and each other.
“We have a philosophy of family first,” he said.
And, this philosophy is one for which the Center for the Family continually strives.
Dennis Lowe, director of the Center for the Family, said he and the other members of the center are grateful to the Friends of the Family League for their continued support.
“It has taken a big burden off of us,” Lowe said. “At the center, we focus on relationships in process, and we can use this funding to try to find other ways to help college students develop healthy relationships.”
The league has been very successful in its efforts, as last year it raised about $97,000 for the center, according to Lowe.
This is good news for the center, as the league provides for most of its fundraising.
“They receive no other fundraising, besides what other people would donate,” Wallace said of the center.
Pepperdine funded the program for the first two years it was started, but afterward left fundraising to the center.
There are about 83 women in the Friends of the Family League, and Wallace said they are all happy to provide their services toward this effort.
“We feel passionate about what we do,” Wallace said. “It is wonderful to be involved with such a worthy cause that can change lives. We have such a heart for students at Pepperdine.”
11-09-2006
