Fashion fundraiser for furry friends
Models will be taking to the cat walk to raise money for dogs and youth on a road to recovery at Nelson ARK.
The fashion show held at Fairfield House next month will include a showcase of Nelson fashion designer Robyn Reynolds’ designs modelled by her customers, a silent auction and several stalls from the Nelson Markets.
Reynolds said she wanted to do an event that would raise money for an organisation involved in something close to her heart.
‘‘It was something I wanted to tick off my bucket list, to do a fundraiser for an organisation that was involved in mental health.’’
She said everyone knew someone who had struggled with mental illness.
‘‘I certainly have had my share in my family’’.
Reynolds said choosing ARK for her cause meant it would help youth and dogs.
‘‘If you can help get young people on the right path, then it’s a huge help for them for the future. And the dogs, they need love too, and support.’’
The Nelson ARK takes rescue dogs, trains them up and gets them in shape for forever homes while turning the lives around of disconnected youth.
A programme run by ARK pairs up young people with animals at the shelter to help them develop compassion and empathy while teaching dogs under a dog trainer.
ARK office manager Allie Mitchell said it was ‘‘really, really quite incredible the difference you see in the young people’’.
She said a woman who just completed the eight-week course arrived at the centre with ‘‘her head down ... and wouldn’t look at anybody.
‘‘By the time we got to week three she started to lift her head up and week four and week five there was this smiling girl gazing back at everybody having fun and enjoying what she’s doing just through the working with the dog. The dog is really the facilitator of all of that for them.’’
Mitchell said the dogs learnt basic skills from the youth, giving them a second chance at life with an adopted family.
‘‘We’re taking a dog that otherwise would ultimately have had to have been euthanased or gone to who knows where so we turn out a dog that’s got a good level of basic training at the end of it, who then is ready for a new home.’’
She said she was ‘‘thrilled’’ to have Reynolds on board.
‘‘It’s so nice to be working with local people.’’
With no government funding, Mitchell said ARK was ‘‘con- stantly struggling’’ to raise funds to put local youth through the programme along with the day to day care of the dogs.
Reynolds said she hoped to raise around $3000 for ARK with the ‘‘fun, lighthearted’’ event.
‘‘Not a serious [time] but it’s for a serious cause.’’