Style show, luncheon slated for Oct. 30 in Heber Springs

HEBER SPRINGS — The Baptist Health Medical Center-Heber Springs Auxiliary has purchased items from the hospital’s wish list — from recliners to lead vests — with proceeds from the auxiliary’s annual fundraiser.

The 15th annual Style Show & Luncheon is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 30 in the First United Methodist Church Family Life Center, 1099 W. Pine St. Tickets are $18 and can be purchased from auxiliary members or at the hospital.

Freda Brown, director of volunteer services for the hospital’s auxiliary, said the style show is the group’s largest fundraiser.

She said that in addition to lunch, there will be musical entertainment, door prizes, a grand prize and an extensive silent auction.

“Most all the businesses in the area give something,” Brown said. Items include gift certificates to restaurants, massages, beauty products and a variety of gift baskets. “The funeral home even gives a gift certificate for a burial, and last year, people bid on it,” she said with a laugh. “That’s one of the unique things.”

Mary Catherine Propes, chairwoman of the event, said 100 door prizes will be given away this year. Tickets are sold for the door prizes, but everyone who buys a ticket to the event has a chance to win the grand prize, which is a gift certificate for four Sunday lunch buffets at Red Apple Inn in Heber Springs.

Brown said the fashion show features clothing “all from places here in town. They even have a jewelry

store, so they have really nice jewelry in the fashion show. [The models] come out one at a time and walk all through the crowd; that way you get an up-close [view] of the clothing and the jewelry.”

While the models change, breaks are taken to draw for door prizes.

“We’re doing it a little different this year,” Propes said. “It’s going to be a more casual-type presentation.”

She said that in conjunction with the fashion show, a skit will be performed by Heber Springs community actresses Jean Ann Lee and Carolyn Burrell, who will serve as masters of ceremonies for the event.

“They will be visiting, sitting at a bistro table, and these [models] are going to be friends walking by,” Propes said. “I had a loose script. … They’re going to be ad-libbing.”

Sydney Bittle, an auxiliary

member who works in the gift shop, said she attended the event last year for the first time.

“It was very, very nice,” she said. “They probably had four tables of silent-auction [items] that the merchants in the area gave — really nice gifts. Our auxiliary made baskets up with themes, like gardening.”

Bittle said she will participate at the event this year by helping to serve lunch.

“They always buy all kinds of things the hospital needs,

mostly equipment,” she said. “They have the directors here at the hospital give them a list of things they would like to have. We got new recliners for the infusion suite, for the chemo patients. Now we have big, nice recliners, … and we bought lead vests for the X-ray department. We don’t keep any money.”

For more information about the event, call (501) 887-3284.