‘Reach for the Stars’ Hits New Heights

Screaming sirens and cheering crowds greeted the opening of the fashion show at the seventh annual “Reach for the Stars,” when a bright red Napa fire truck powered into the Grove at Silverado Country Club and a platoon of uniformed firefighters escorted the child models to the outdoor stage.

“It was so cool,” says Francie Winnen, who co-chaired the event with Kathi Turner. “There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.”

Every year “Reach for the Stars” turns the spotlight on several dozen men, women, and children, all of them cancer survivors, who serve as the show’s models. The Foundation-sponsored event is a celebration of their personal victories over the disease and a way to involve the whole community in the fight against cancer.

The 2000 edition of the event raised $26,000 for new cancer treatment equipment at the Queen.

This year marked the first time “Reach for the Stars” was held outdoors. The new location allowed more friends, family, and community supporters to attend and cheer on the nearly 60 models.

Being a model is a life-changing experience for many participants. “You’re all facing the same thing and you bond together,” says Elsworth Hoeft, who modeled last year. “It’s one of the most rewarding things a person can do.”

“Reach” not only showcases cancer survivors but has also become a rallying point, with more and more survivors volunteering backstage as well as onstage. Local cancer support groups have become essential to the event, and many individuals who started as models are now working on other aspects of “Reach for the Stars.”

Elsworth, for example, helped put up the arbor for the fashion show. Don Turner, a model in previous years, this year took on the job of master of ceremonies. Wayne Sutton, whose wife, Suzi, modeled last year, became part of this year’s show by entertaining the audience with a few songs before the fashion show began. Meanwhile Suzi handled all the reservations.

Ingrid Manning was so impressed by the event when she modeled last year that she signed up to run this year’s raffle together with Dianne Heitz, another cancer survivor who wasn’t interested in walking the runway but wanted to get involved. “Doing this last year was of great benefit to me and I wanted to still be a part of it,” Ingrid explains. “It was the first time I’d been involved in doing something like this, but I want to help out and do what I can.”