Inaugural Flyers Wives Fashion Show Brings In Big Bucks For Charity
By Chelsea Karnash
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Just call 'em the Philanthropic Philadelphia Flyers Wives.
Guests flooded the ballroom at the Hyatt at the Bellevue for the star-studded Inaugural Flyers Wives Fashion Show on Wednesday night.
The evening began with cocktails and a silent auction that featured fabulous prizes ranging from a Starbucks gift basket and a $100 Joan Shepp gift certificate to a "Bed & Brew" Weekend at Ommegang Brewery in New York and a helicopter tour.
And while some guests spent the cocktail hour noshing on the array of goodies from the food stations or sipping "Orange Crush" cocktails, the hardcore fans were far more interested in meeting the Flyers and their wives on the red carpet, where they smiled for the cameras.
Shortly before 8 o'clock, guests took their seats for the main event. Items up for grabs included two tickets to Nicole Miller's show at the upcoming New York Fashion Week, a diamond bangle from Lagos, and an orange beach cruiser bike signed by the Flyers—which Flyers forwards Jaromír Jagr and Max Talbot took a spin on, earning loud cheers from the crowd.
The cruiser went for $5000.
Then, the grand finale Flyers Wives Fashion Show began. The show, which marked the debut of Nicole Miller's new Artelier line, had Lauren Pronger (wife of Chris Pronger), Olga Bobrovsky (wife of goalie Sergei) and other Flyers wives walking the runway to the sounds of a live DJ to the delight of the crowd—and of their husbands, who were seated in the front row.
As for the clothes, they were glitzier and more colorful than Miller's usual designs…and for the most part, a bit more casual. There were gauzy tunics, rainbow-hued mini skirts and sequined mini-dresses galore, plus a smattering of floor-length formal gowns, like a navy blue sequined dress that drew loud applause.
After close to an hour, the runway show finished with a live rendition of Lady Gaga's "Edge of Glory," performed by singer Lauren Hart, which had all of the Flyers wives dancing down the runway.
Proceeds from the night benefited Comcast-Spectacor Charities, which include non-profits like the Police Athletic League, PAWS, the Ronald McDonald House and Living Beyond Breast Cancer, among others. And between the sale of tickets--which ranged in price from $100 to sponsorships of $25,000--and the money brought in from both auctions, the fashion show raised big bucks for some very worthy charities—which was, after all, the goal.
To see more pictures from the Flyers Wives Fashion Show at the Bellevue, click here.
