Sacred Heart students celebrated National Catholic Schools Week Thursday night and raised funds for the American Heart Association by putting on a Dress Red For The Heart Fashion Show.
This week is National Catholic Schools Week and February is National Heart Month to bring awareness to, and raise funds for, heart disease.
National Catholic Schools Week is the annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States. It starts the last Sunday in January, which was Jan. 31, and runs all week through Saturday.
The theme for the National Catholic Schools Week 2016 is “Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service.”
Some of the week-long activities besides the fashion show at Sacred Heart have included Mass, a Zumba class, dressing as a tourist and a pancake breakfast.
There were 50 students from Sacred Heart in grades prekindergarten through sixth grade who participated in the fashion show in the black box theater at the Warsaw Community High School Performing Arts Center Thursday night. WCHS donated the use of the theater for the event.
Ticket sales from the show will be donated to American Heart Association. Red Dress pins were sold with proceeds going back to the association.
Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer and his wife, Jill, participated in the fashion show as well as James Faroh Sr., Sacred Heart principal, and his wife, Patti, Sacred Heart academic specialist.
James said Catholic Schools Week is a time nationally that Catholic schools are celebrated and the education they offer.
“Being Sacred Heart School and our theme being a heart, we decided to have the proceeds from the fashion show go to the American Heart Association,” James said. “We have taught the children about how important it is to have a healthy lifestyle and how important it is to take care of themselves and make correct choices.”
Patti said the fashion show is a fun way to express love for Sacred Heart.
“They have learned all week ways to be healthy and the importance of having a healthy heart, and this is a way to kick back and have fun with the kids,” Patti said.
Lili Polk, fashion show organizer, said the students wore their own clothing and walked the runway modeling active, sports, casual and formal wear.
“This is a fun activity and we are teaching our kids to give back,” Polk said.
Claire Hollowell, 8, Sacred Heart second-grader, participated in the fashion show and her mother, Cindy Hollowell, pre-kindergarten teacher at Sacred Heart, assisted students.
Claire wore a red sweater and a zebra scarf and sparkly pants.
“I feel good about being in the fashion show,” she said.
Cindy said helping others is something that is promoted at the school, and the fashion show is a great way to do that.
Sharon Roe, third-grade teacher at Sacred Heart, said the fashion show is a good way to raise awareness about heart disease. She said heart disease runs in her family and her dad, two brothers and sister have all had heart problems.
Isabella Lopez, 6, a first-grader, wore a red dress with sequins. Her mother, Jill Lopez, helped her curl her hair.
“I feel good about helping others,” Isabella said.
(Story By The Times Union)
