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Unity in Uniform’s 4th Alarm Fashion Show Raised the Roof for Breast Cancer Awareness
by Mellissa Thomas
Unity in Uniform, Inc.’s 4th Alarm Fashion Show rocked the Wyndham Orlando Resort on International Drive from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. on October 19, 2013 to raise funds for breast cancer awareness and student scholarships for medical and emergency services training. Firefighters, nurses, doctors, EMTs, military veterans, and police officers enlivened the runway for a glorious night of fashion fun.
Dayve Stewart relaxes the crowd during the VIP Pre-Show.
Saxophonist David “Dayve” Stewart soothed the extinguished guests during the VIP pre-show, setting the mood for the main event. National radio personality and social activist Michael Baisden appeared and did a brief interview with UIU’s Executive Director Hezedean Smith.
UIU’s firefighters called me to the pink carpet for a few photos with them.
Outside the rooms models, vendors, and UIU members mingled and took pictures on UIU’s pink carpet. Jammins Radio Network personality Marsha Dawn-Hall (known on the radio as Marsha D.) conducted pink carpet interviews for UIU, and even pulled me there for a brief interview about Downtown Orlando Fashion Week. Jammins Radio Network’s DJ Phayz, a UIU member, worked the tunes for the fashion show.
The night’s vendors included Prudential, Polished Boutique and Salon, Susan G. Komen for the Cure Central Florida, Mary Kay Consultant Deanna Roberts, Central Florida Google affiliate Snap & Play (who recorded and photographed the show), Caribbean American Passport News Magazine, and jeweler Ana Pena, who furnished some of the models’ accessories.
Here’s how the show went down, segment by segment.
Let the Show Begin
Once Orlando Fire Chaplain Lonnie Crawford did the Invocation, Star 94.5’s JoJo Oneal and comedian Tight Mike introduced themselves, generating laughs from the moment they stepped on the stage. Tight Mike feigned feeling sick (read: mock heart attack), which cued the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive.” Orlando Fire Engineer Emmanuel Washington burst forth wearing an all red business suit, barking instructions on how to properly resuscitate someone as UIU firemen and EMTs emerged on the stage with CPR dummies to demonstrate. It was on from there.
Unity in Uniform EMTs and firefighters demonstrate CPR (including on Tight Mike, center, who faked a heart attack).
Door Prizes and…Michael Baisden
Tight Mike and JoJo look on as Michael Baisden takes the stage.
Michael Baisden discusses his passion for mentoring during the show.
JoJo and Tight Mike read off the first door prizes, then introduced Michael Baisden. He briefly spoke to the audience of his two-year youth mentoring crusade in Orlando and endorsed Unity in Uniform’s work in the Central Florida community. “We don’t have enough black men mentoring our young black boys,” he said. “I mean, thank you, white people. We’re grateful for what you’ve done, and I’m thankful that women have stepped up to the plate, but we need more black men to mentor [these kids].” He’ll be mentoring youth from Evans High School each Tuesday.
Baisden briefly discussed his twenty-year journey as an author and mentioned that two of his books are being adapted into films, including his 1999 release “Maintenance Man.”
The Shopping Experience
Dillard’s at Florida Mall furnished dashing men’s and women’s business casual outfits for the models. Charlie Wilson’s “There Goes My Baby” played while they performed a courting skit: Firefighter Pierre Nixon portrayed Charlie Wilson in the song, who sings of encountering a beautiful woman while shopping. Men and women graced the runway as Nixon and his female counterpart performed their skit.
Better Than the Beach
The night’s summer showcase lit the audience up. UIU models bore muscles, curves, and skin galore in sexy swimsuits and summer getups provided by Polished Boutique and Salon, Wild Side Clothing, Dillards at Florida Mall, and Divinely Adorned.
Event Sponsor Appreciation
Life Worth Living Pharmacy has consistently backed UIU’s fashion shows since its inaugural year. UIU Executive Director Hezedean Smith and Associate Director Stacey Brown presented the LWLP team with an appreciation plaque and thanked them for their continued support.
UIU Overview and Raffle Prizes
After a fifteen-minute intermission, Mr. Smith spoke briefly about UIU and played the company’s overview video to give the audience an idea of what the organization is about.
JoJo and Tight Mike raffled off a genuine mink shrug, a two-day stay at the Downtown Marriott, a Yankee Candle aromatherapy kit, and a flat screen TV.
The Official Grant Presentation
During the show, the City of Orlando presented UIU a $9,000 grant check to launch its Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) program this year, which enrolled roughly fifteen Central Florida high school seniors to receive emergency and medical training.
Moving on Up
Suit City of Orlando and All Tied Up provided stunning three-piece suits for the men, who performed a silent skit with the ladies. Each women emerged wearing Divinely Adorned’s formal wear and flirted with some of the men, dismissed some others, and strutted back to the top of the runway arm in arm with the man they finally chose.
Survivor: Honor & Unity
UIU Executive Secretary Jennifer Klinger (center) takes pictures with breast cancer survivors on the pink carpet.
The show gave breast cancer survivors the full glamour treatment as always: lights, cameras, and catwalk. Stephanie, Susan G. Komen for the Cure Central Florida’s Volunteer Director for the 4th Alarm Fashion Show, and UIU Executive Secretary Jennifer Klinger presented the ladies, gifting them with bouquets and swag bags. UIU men escorted the women down the runway.
Working it Out – Uniforms
The models showed their true colors during this segment by modeling in their work uniforms, provided by Municipal Clothing. The one exception was the nurses, who sported fantasy-inspiring skimpy white-and-red nurse coats with red shoes.
The Wrap-Up
UIU models sit along the edge of the stage as Associate Director Stacey Brown wraps the show up.
All the models returned and sat along the edges of the stage. Smith and Brown returned and made their final acknowledgements for all the sponsors, vendors, designers, and behind the scenes crew.
After the show, people flooded the outside hall to take more pink carpet photos and mingle some more, and UIU’s 2011 Lawrence Jackson Scholarship winner B.J. Jackson worked the turntables during the after party.
If you’ve loved these Unity in Uniform, Inc. features and you’re ready to lend a helping hand to Central Florida youth, get involved at www.unityinuniform.org.
All photos taken by Mellissa Thomas.
About the Author:
Downtown Orlando Fashion Week Chief Editor Mellissa Thomas is a Jamaica-born writer. She’s a decorated U.S. Navy veteran with Entertainment Business Masters and Film Bachelors degrees from Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL.
She’s currently available for hire, writing content for websites, blogs, and marketing material. She also writes poetry, screenplays, and ghostwrites books.
She has published three books, all available on Amazon.com, with her fourth, “Faded Diamonds”, set to release on Amazon.com and all digital devices in early January 2014.
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WINTER PARK, Fla. (Florida National News) – Mister Rogers’ Week of Kindness, inspired by the children’s TV host and icon, comes to Orlando in March 2023. This week-long series of events was announced today at the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation in Winter Park.
“Fred McFeely Rogers devoted his entire life to reminding us of some of the most important ideas of what it means to be human among humans: love, respect and kindness,” explained Buena Vista Events & Management President & CEO Rich Bradley. “Many of us find that nearly 20 years after Fred’s passing, it is important to focus on his teachings once again, perhaps now more than ever. This is a week to re-engage with his massive body of work with some folks, and to introduce his teachings to others.”
Mister Rogers’ Week of Kindness begins March 20, 2023, the date which would have been Fred’s 95th birthday, and concludes on Saturday, March 26 with the Red Sweater Soiree, a community dinner to recognize ten ordinary members of the community who inspire and exemplify the affinity that Fred Rogers had for showing kindness to our “Neighbors”.
Mister Rogers Week of Kindness coming March 20-26, 2023. Photo Credit: Mike Brodsky (Florida National News)
Activities planned for the week will include early childhood education activities and faculty training, as well as events open to the public.
“The events will be offered free or at low cost,” continued Bradley. “This week-long celebration is not a series of fundraisers, but rather about once again remembering and sharing some of the great work that Fred Rogers created, not only in early childhood education, but in reminding us that we are all part of one big ‘neighborhood’. Fred taught us the importance of accepting our Neighbors just the way they are and engaging in kindness with our interactions. I can’t think of another period in my lifetime where we needed to reflect on those messages again more than today.”
“There are three ways to ultimate success,” Fred Rogers was once quoted as saying. “The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind. Imagine what our neighborhoods would be like if each of us offered, as a matter of course, just one kind word to another person.”
Many of the activities of Mister Rogers’ Week of Kindness will be attended by members of the cast and crew of Mister Rogers Neighborhood, which ran from 1968 – 1975, and again from 1979 – 2001. David Newell, known as “Mr. McFeely,” the “Speedy Delivery” man, appeared at today’s media conference via video, and looks forward to visiting Central Florida next March.
David Newell, “Mr. McFeely.” Photo Credit: Mike Brodsky (Florida National News)
Mister Rogers’ Week of Kindness is supported by the McFeely-Rogers Foundation, the Fred Rogers Institute, and Fred Rogers Productions. Details regarding the specific activities and venues will be released over the next few weeks.
For more information on the events, visit https://www.BuenaVistaEvents.com or https://www.MisterRogersWeekofKindness.com.
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