A really unusual and very creative way to raise money for a charity is to hold a fashion show that highlights both clothing for people as well as some very cute and adorable dogs. Some of the fashion dog shows feature dogs and their high fashion walkers wearing coordinating outfits while still others have only the people in high fashion designs and the dogs simply strutting their stuff.
Planning a doggy fashion show for charity takes a lot of coordination and organization but can also bring in a sizable donation total at the end of the event. To organize the event there are some very specific tasks you will have to accomplish, and these will be different than hosting almost any other type of event.
If you have never had experience in organizing or hosting these types of events it may be a good idea to get a committee together or to even consider hiring an event coordinator or planner. Usually these doggy fashion shows are fairly complicated productions with media coverage both prior to and during the event, a lot of advanced publicity and coordination of several major or minor celebrities that participate in, promote and attend the event.
Choosing a date is going to be more complicated than with other types of typical dog walks and other fund raisers since you want to avoid competing or clashing with other charity events. In addition if you are inviting celebrities or local stars it will be important to be able to work with their schedule. Since many stars and noted individuals schedule events months in advance it is always important to plan as early as possible and start asking several people if they can attend. You may want to focus in on stars that are known to enjoy having dogs around or spend time in promoting dogs or a particular charity.
Charity fashion shows that include dogs may raise money for a variety of different types of charities. There are doggy fashion shows for dog shelters and rescues, for specific charities such as cancer research or domestic violence prevention or even for hospitals or community centers and projects. In reality a celebrity fashion dog show can really be for any type of charity, which is one reason that they are becoming more and more popular.
One of the first major hurdles you are going to have to overcome to have the event is to find a location that allows both people and dogs as well as food if you are going to have a dinner during the fashion show. Many of the best known doggy charity fashion shows include a sit down dinner or at least appetizers and cocktails before the show. This can complicate finding a venue as many of the nicer and upscale hotels don't allow dogs within the ballrooms unless they are guide or assistance dogs. Sometimes hotels or conference facilities will change their policies or modify their policies for charity events, but others may not. It may be easier to find a conference facility than a hotel that has more flexible policies with regards to animals in the buildings.
Once you have the facility the next step is to plan the theme for the evening. You may want to invite a local designer or group of design students or even a group of local retail stores to provide the clothing. Of course if you are having a major celebrity they may make a suggestion as to the clothing they would like to wear, then you can design the rest of the program around this. Finding other human models is usually not difficult as there are typically lots of volunteers for these types of events. Talking with a local modeling agency or even a college will typically ensure that you have more models than you need. Police departments, fire departments and even local businesses and manufacturing companies may also provide people to model or help with organization and coordination of the event. Stores or designers that provide clothing for either the people or the dogs in the show get recognition through advertising both at the show as well as on the flyers, brochures, radio and television ads as well as on the charity website.
The larger problem may be in finding dogs that would be suitable for the fashion show. They will need to be highly socialized and well mannered, plus they will also need to in keeping with the theme or style of the show. A great option is to work with local breed clubs or an animal rescue that can provide dogs for the show. Some dog fashion shows combine the actual human fashion show along with using dogs from local rescues and shelters. This is a wonderful way to highlight the well trained and beautiful dogs available at shelters and may trigger additional awareness and perhaps even adoptions for the dogs featured in the show.
Using dogs from rescues and shelters doesn't mean that people actually adopt at the fashion show. All individuals will still have to go through the adoption paperwork and approval, but it does definitely spark interest in the organizations.
Advertising and setting a price for tickets to the event is the final step, along with decorating the facility and deciding on what is to be served. Be sure to also take into consideration the type of crowd you are hoping to attract when you are setting ticket prices. You can also set a dress code for event goers, which may be particularly important if you are serving a meal or coordinating a formal type of fashion show and charity dinner.
A fashion show that includes both people and dogs is a great way to spark interest in a charity as well as highlight some of the canines in the community. It does take a bit of coordination and organization but it is well worth the effort and sure to be a hit with the community that will become an annual event.
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