PREVIEW: Rock Your Style’s Mission to Support Local Cancer Patients
09/27 @ Empire Live, Albany
Photos by Thom Williams
“It’s deeply moving to see these young people step up, celebrate their loved ones and carry this cause forward.”
On September 27th, the Rock Your Style benefit fashion show will be returning to Empire Live in Albany. Organized to benefit the NYOH Cancer Foundation, Rock Your Style promotes support and community for local cancer patients in the Capital Region through expressions of style.
The models participating are chosen to represent a purpose every year. Cancer survivors, local advocates, and high school students, all with personal connections to the cause, will be walking the runway at Rock Your Style. This event provides a space to not only memorialize but also to create significant change at a local level.
“Our models are chosen with intention. Every one of them has a connection to cancer, whether they’re currently in treatment, in remission or honoring a loved one,” says Takara Wiles, Marketing Manager at NYOH. “We also work to make sure the runway reflects the diversity and spirit of the Capital Region. It’s deeply moving to see these young people step up, celebrate their loved ones and carry this cause forward.”
This year, students from Tech Valley High School and LaSalle Institute will be participating as a way to not only support families in similar situations but to remember and commemorate relatives affected by cancer.
Through ticket admissions, raffles, and silent auctions held at the Rock Your Style Event, the NYOH Cancer Foundation is able to support both patients and caregivers with everyday expenses and needs, including rent and grocery assistance, free support programs and workshops, and donating commonly needed household items to local cancer patients. Since the launch of this event in 2008, Rock Your Style has been able to raise over $1 million for nonprofits in the Capital Region.
The Rock Your Style event is a unique take on a typical fashion show. Attendees can expect highly energetic audiences, the crowning of the “Golden Hangar Award” to the model who is able to raise the most money, and the fan-favorite “Dine Around,” an opportunity to win a gift card for a local restaurant anywhere between $25 and $100.
“And unlike a traditional fashion show, the energy here is electric,” says Wiles. “We encourage clapping, cheering and even dancing in your seats. Our models bring their own creative flair to the runway, making every moment feel personal, joyful and inspiring.”
For more information on the Rock Your Style event and the NYOH Cancer Foundation’s mission, visit https://nyohfoundation.org/rock-your-style/.