The Urban Rack raised over $3,000 for the B.C. Cancer Foundation last Thursday night through its annual Spring Awakening fashion show and charity event.
It was the first year back "home," says owner Kristine Irving, after many years at the Kits store, which has now closed. Doors opened at 7 p.m. and within 10 minutes there was a line-up out to the parking lot with women waiting to purchase their coveted charity bag.
One of the highlights of the evening is the charity bags, valued anywhere from $50 to $300, The Urban Rack puts together with donations from suppliers and, this year, from generous local businesses. Ladies might open their bags to find a beautiful spring top with matching scarf, a bottle of hair product and a jar of blueberry jam from a local farm. The bags are offered for a minimum donation of $20, although many donate far more than that.
For each spring fashion show Irving chooses a charity to support, and over the last 16 years her store has donated more than $30,000 to various organizations from this one evening. This year she chose a charity that is near to her heart: the B.C. Cancer Foundation. Having survived a struggle with thyroid cancer this past year, in addition to so many family members afflicted with the disease, Irving felt it was an obvious choice. The charity bags sold out in 20 minutes, raising $3,040.
After the bag business was concluded, the fashion and music (and wine and popcorn) took centre stage as five gorgeous models strutted the red carpet to pumping '80s tunes from DJ Ollie.
