TOM show raises funds for SickKids

TOM show raises funds for SickKids

Photos: Screen grabs from www.tomfw.com

MEN’S FASHION 4 HOPE

By Veronica C. Silva

What’s common between fashion models, a politician, sportscaster, athletes, business executives? For one night in March, some of the who’s who in Toronto’s society strut the runway with professional models and designers to support a charitable cause.

Toronto’s Men’s Fashion Week 2017, aptly nicknamed TOM, again played host to the Mens Fashion 4 Hope celebrity fashion show that raised funds for SickKids Foundation through the Kol Hope Foundation for Children.

Jagmeet Singh, Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament (Bramalea-Gore-Malton), New Democratic Party, once more shared the runway with professional model Jason Mason and media personalities, including TSN host Nabil Karim, HGTV host Scott McGillivray, TV host Phil Guerrero, Big Brother Canada Houseguest Aneal Ramkissoon, and fashion journalist Glen Baxter.
It was a comeback for Singh, Mason and Baxter who have previously supported the fundraiser, which was already on its sixth season.

Businessmen and professionals, including Bay St. litigation lawyer Michael Alexander and condo developer Brad Lamb, CEO of Lamb Development Corp., also walked the runway.

They were joined by athletes, including Adam Van Koeverden, world and Olympic champion kayaker; James Yurichuk, professional football player and founder at Wully Outerwear; and Misha Cirkunov, UFC fighter.

Fashion designer and Project Runway Canada winner Evan Biddell also shared the limelight last March 7 with home designer-builder Carlo Rinomato, founder and CEO of Design Generation Homes. These industry icons were joined by Robert Ott, professor of the Ryerson University School of Fashion and former executive of The Jones Group.

This season raised at least $23,000 through onsite and online collections, including funds matched by sponsor Marriott Traveler. Online partner was Goodpin.

Melinda Rustia, president of Kol Hope Foundation for Children, was elated at the “kind hearted and very generous donors” of the Mens Fashion 4 Hope.

The Kol Hope Foundation was founded to support children bornwith disabilities and chromosomal disorders. The Kol Hope Fund at Sickkids particularly focuses on raising funds for the SickKids Genetics Department.

Kol Hope Foundation was founded in memory of Kol Rustia, grandson of Melinda Rustia and son of Jeff Rustia, founder of TOM. Kol was born with Trisomy 13, a fatal genetic syndrome, and passed away in 2011.

Since 2014, the Kol Hope Foundation has been working with TOM to bring fashion and charity for a worthy cause.