Rhode Island
50 kids who’ve survived cancer to walk the runway at annual RI gala
Next month, 50 kids from across New England will be dressed in their best as they walk the runway at this year’s Glimmer Gala.
It’s an evening for childhood cancer survivors to feel like celebrities.
“For them, not only do they get to feel like a normal kid doing a normal activity, but they get to feel larger than life,” said Alison Hornung, founder and CEO of the Glimmer of Hope Foundation. “I hear the kids go into their classrooms after and say, ‘I got to walk the runway show and I got to do a photo shoot.’”
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That photo shoot and shopping spree are something each child, like 6-year-old Bella Berg from Lexington, gets to take part in.
“For everything that they go through and that loss of identity, it really makes them feel like they’re beautiful and strong, inside and outside,” Hornung said.
The Glimmer of Hope Foundation started six years ago. It brings hope to families whose children are battling cancer. This year’s gala is expected to be their biggest yet, with at least 500 people expected to attend.
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The goal is to give the kids confidence and make them feel special.
“They get to be alongside kids that are going through the same thing as them, so they don’t feel different,” said Hornung. “They just feel seen and understood.”
The Glimmer Gala takes place Saturday June 13 at the Rhode Island Convention Center. Click here for more.