Miss America 2020, Camille Schrier partners with Pink Warrior Angels to raise funds for financial aid grants
Special to Leader-Press
Miss America 2020, Camille Schrier has joined with Pink Warrior Angels of Texas (PWATX) to emcee the Runway of Hope Gala featuring 10 cancer survivors that will walk the runway to showcase their individual stories in an effort to raise funds for financial aid grants. The event is being aired through a virtual livestream on Saturday, December 5 at 5:30 p.m.
As the primary fundraising effort for PWATX, the Runway of Hope will provide funding for financial aid grants provided to cancer warriors across the United States who need help with monthly bills like their mortgage, car payment, utilities or even groceries and gas cards.
“We’re a small organization and one of the few that do not discriminate for helping with financial aid grants based on income levels. We get referrals from the big cancer non-profits all the time, and this past year we’ve been averaging over $20,000 in financial aid requests each month,” says Julie Moser, PWATX Executive Director, “We don’t have a budget that allows that kind of assistance so we’re left to decide what we can offer that provides the most positive impact for our cancer warriors. Runway of Hope is crucial to helping us meet our mission.”
In addition to the runway show, PWATX is offering silent auction items and raffle giveaways available for bidding now and a live auction on the night of the event featuring autographed items from celebrities like Mark Wahlberg, George Strait, Matthew McConaughey, and Tim McGraw.
The organization hopes to raise $50,000 in funding that will allow them to double their current financial aid grant amounts.
The 10 models were selected through an application process and live across the United States in Oregon, Missouri, Texas and Washington D.C. Nine women and one man will walk the runway in recognition of a variety of cancers including kidney, ovarian, testicular, head and neck, brain, uterine, breast, and pediatric cancer. Runway coach and former professional model, Lolita Frazier, is proud of each model and excited to watch the show virtually.
“I worked individually with each model to show them how to strut down the runway in a way that represents their individual personalities and stories. You will laugh and cry and cheer with excitement while watching each of them.”
Miss America 2020, Camille Shrier is traveling to Texas to be in attendance as the emcee of the virtual live show. She was a guest of honor during a virtual meet and greet to get to know each model prior to the live event.
“We are so excited to welcome Miss America 2020, Camille Shrier to Texas for the Runway of Hope,” says Moser. “She embodies that spunky, fun, spirit we wanted in an emcee. She will also be helping us honor Lizzy Tennyson, a model from last year’s show who battled a leukemia diagnosis 5 different times before the age of 22! She lost her battle this past year. I can’t think of anyone better to highlight a beautiful soul like Lizzy’s. She would have loved meeting Miss America.”
Pink Warrior Angels of Texas recognizes that this past year has been hard on individuals and families. Non-profit fundraising has suffered from the pandemic and loss of work.
“We know that this is a hard year all around, but we’re hoping that people see the power of a $20 ticket and how that alone can change the life of a cancer warrior and their family,” says Runway of Hope Event Manager, Selena ConMackie. “We’re grateful for the generosity of our donors and can’t wait to put on an amazing runway show for them.”
Tickets to attend the virtual livestream event are $20 and can be purchased online at https://pwatx.betterworld.org/events/runway-hope-2020. Auction items are available for bidding at https://pwatx.betterworld.org/.