It will be an evening of food and fashion on Monday, April 5, when Landrum High School students sponsor a dinner, silent auction and fashion show to benefit Hospice of the Carolina Foothills (HoCF).

Starting at 6 p.m., steaming plates of Paul Ayers BBQ will be served in the high schools cafeteria, where a silent auction of local goods will be up for bidding. A wide variety of items have been donated by the community and The Hospice Thrift Barn.

The evening will be capped by a fashion show in the Landrum High School auditorium, where members of the womens volleyball team will model formal wear, casual attire and sports wear, all donated by community members to the Hospice Thrift Barn. Much of the fashion show attire will soon be available for viewing on the HoCF sites as well.

Admission is free to the fashion show and auction. BBQ dinner tickets must be purchased for a small fee. Volleyball team member Caroline Cann, along with many of her teammates, played a key role in coming up with the idea of the evening to benefit Hospice, according to HoCF Volunteer Coordinator Tracey Brannon. We were already grateful to these young women for volunteering at the Hospice Thrift Barn many times, and now, with the support of their coach Denise Riske, they have come up with the idea of the fashion show, explains Brannon.

The fundraiser will be a school-wide effort, with Beta Club and Student Council members also helping in different areas that night. Brannon credits LHS guidance counselor Shannon McCrimmon, for being instrumental in encouraging students to volunteer for Hospice. She too will be on hand to help out that night.

I also want to take the opportunity that night to show the parents and community how the students have been helping HoCF since last August, Brannon says. She adds that there will also be a 10 to 15 minute presentation by a guest speaker, and some surprise presentations and recognition.

Visit HoCF on line or their Facebook page for a preview of auction items and fashions. Please contact Tracey Brannon at HoCF, 828-894-7000, if you would like to make a donation of goods or services to the Silent Auction, or sell tickets at local places of business.

Tickets for the fundraiser can be purchased in advance at Carruth Furniture, American Design and the Hospice Thrift Barn in Landrum, from the Hospice Center behind St. Lukes Hospital in Columbus, or online at www.hocf.org. Online ticket purchases will be confirmed by telephone and will be available for pick up at LHS on the night of the BBQ.

All proceeds will go to the HoCF mission of caring for individuals and their families in our community.