The first First Friday event of 2017 takes place Friday at 6 p.m. with a splash of colors and a runway of fashion and flair.
Madame Couture’s annual “Fashion with Compassion,” a fundraiser for Teen Reach Adventure Camp, or TRAC, features styles from downtown boutiques and consignment shops in an elegant, prom-preview fashion show inside the Emma Kelly Theater at the Averitt Center for the Arts.
Spotlighted on the runway are designs from Madame Couture’s Boutique, Bellies, Babies and Ballerinas, Two Cute Kidz, Sola Fide and features a special line from Page XVII by Jasmyne Summers.
Participants will have the added bonus of purchasing the dresses worn on the runway and taking part in a raffle for a dress valued up to $700.
All of the proceeds from the event benefit TRAC, a positive, faith-based summer camp experience that offers hope and encouragement to foster children and at-risk children from the ages of 12 to 15.
Maria Proctor, owner of Madame Couture’s Boutique and co-organizer of the event said she prefers the term, “at-possible” instead of “at-risk” and believes the camp is life-changing for those that take part, both campers and volunteers.
The first TRAC camp in Georgia – in fact, the first one in the eastern part of the United States – took place last year with proceeds from previous Fashion with Compassion funds and was held at Gordonia-Altamaha State Park in Reidsville.
The camps are held separately by gender – three days for girls and three days for boys, with a special first-day for each.
“Sometimes on the first day of camp,” said Jason Robichau, a local sports artist and co-organizer with Proctor, “the kids come with a wall up. They’ve been through a lot. We try to tear down that wall.
“In the Princess Program [for the girls], we tell them they are the “daughter of the king” and they deserve to be treated as such.”
Proctor explained that the girls rotate through stations with volunteer counselors, called “cousins” during camp, helping with manicures and pedicures, hair styling and make-up application. The girls then choose a dress from a selection of donated prom dresses and take part in a professional photo shoot.
And lastly, gentlemen dressed in all black with pink ties escort the ladies across red carpet to an elegant dinner followed by dancing.
“In the All-Star Program,” Robichau said, “we tell the boys, ‘You’re not average; you’re an all-star in the eyes of the Lord.’”
With help from Georgia Southern football coaches and players, the boys received donated football jerseys and had the chance to play football on the Georgia Southern field with players and coaches.
Campers in the All-Star program received a new pair of Converse tennis shoes, three new shirts and Nike shorts.
During camp, the participants do Bible studies, make crafts and take part in team-building opportunities.
“Most foster kids are individualistic,” Robichau said. “They have to survive this system that’s failed them. They often lack the ability to trust. They have to learn to trust the person next to them.”
Robichau said one of the challenges for the boys was to build a boat as a team that actually floated.
Proctor said it takes about 100 volunteers to put on the camp. Local churches and civic groups donate time and money, as well as Georgia Southern Greek students and other volunteers. Many other volunteers take part in the camp, like local licensed therapists and nurses. A one-to-one ratio of campers to cousins exists at both camps.
The children also took home a nice duffle bag, because, as Proctor pointed out, “They move around often.”
Proctor said, in preparing for last year’s camp, she’d found some inexpensive duffle bags and Robichau said to her, “We want the best of the best, because the kids are used to receiving second-best.”
Roughly speaking, the camp cost approximately $350 for each participant, but the fund-raising last year exceeded the team’s expectations which resulted in some extra goodies for the kids to take home from camp.
“Jeremiah 29:11 is a theme of the TRAC camps,” Robichau said, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord,’ plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ It’s not a coincidence that 29.11 times 12 is $349.32, so we are looking for sponsors to give $29.11 a month for a camper.”
Camper D had this to say about last year’s camp, “At camp, I felt safe and loved and cared for because sometimes I don’t feel loved so coming to this camp really helped me and taught me a lesson.”
Camper K said, “At this camp you guys really showed me what it felt like to be worth living.”
And one more participant, Camper L, said, “This was the best summer I have ever had. You guys are awesome. Keep doing what you do.”
You can help the team keep doing what they do best – touching the lives of kids who need to be shown what it means to be loved and treasured – by attending the fashion show on Friday.
Tickets are available at the above-mentioned boutiques or at the door and cost $10 for adults and $5 for kids. For more information about donating time and money to TRAC, send an email to tracstatesboro@gmail.com.