By Anne Ruisi
Sporting Auburn University gear, including a white pullover boasting a tiger’s face in bright orange and a dark blue ruffled skirt, 15-year-old Athena Hontzas was ready to hit the runway in front of Troup’s Pizza in Cahaba Heights.
The Mountain Brook High School student was among the group of children and young adults with Down syndrome who modeled football team-themed clothing at the Football Fashions & Fun event at Cahaba Heights Village on Aug. 11.
“I’m excited to cheer for Athena,” said Juliette Kendrick, 17, who was there to encourage her friend as Athena made her modeling debut.
The Cahaba Heights Merchants Association held the show with Down Syndrome Alabama, a statewide organization dedicated to supporting individuals with Down syndrome, their families and their communities by advancing advocacy, providing connections and promoting education.
“It’s always great to bring awareness and be inclusive,” Athena’s mom, Beth Hontzas, said of the event. “It drives home the fact that we are all more alike than different, and, plus, it’s just fun and it’s a way to get to know people in your community, other moms who have children with special needs.”
The mid-August heat didn’t stifle the enthusiasm of the large crowd that gathered to watch the models stride down the green artificial grass runner that served as the runway. Accompanied by their escorts – mostly Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills cheerleaders and dance team members wearing their uniforms – the fashion show’s models rocked it.
Some of the youngest models were carried by their moms or siblings.
Cute as a button, 2-year-old Monroe Scott of Vestavia Hills was dressed in Auburn’s colors. She beamed as she excitedly waved an orange and blue shaker as her mother, Savannah Scott, who went to Alabama, carried her down the runway.
“She enjoyed it, she loves attention,” Scott said, adding that her husband, Drew, is an Auburn grad.
Beyond the joy the event brought to her little girl, Scott said the event was “an opportunity to be with a community of people here in Birmingham and a time for (Monroe) to be celebrated.”
Girls weren’t the only models to participate. Among the boys was Paul Millsap, 4, modeled Alabama fan gear, his mom, Laura Millsap, said.
Getting him to start down the runway was a bit of a challenge, she said. Models walked past a bubble machine as they set out on the runway, and when Paul saw it, he just wanted to play there.
Luckily, his sisters, Sallie, 9 and Julia, 11, decked out in Mountain Brook cheerleader uniforms, guided him as they escorted him down the runway, with Sallie carrying him at one point.
“He had a lot of fun and saw a lot of his friends,” Millsap said. “This raises awareness about Down syndrome and was a fun way to do it.”
The afternoon also featured an appearance by Auburn University’s Aubie and the University of Alabama’s Big Al, who posed for photos and high-fived fans. At one point, the mascots for the state’s best-known football rivalry greeted each other with hugs, to the delight of young fans and the amusement of their parents.
Community Partnership
The idea for the fashion show came from Katherine McRee of Lili Pad and Gigi’s in Cahaba Heights, who approached Down Syndrome Alabama about partnering on an event, said Missy Haughery, the nonprofit organization’s executive director.
They decided that a fashion show, where all the models are individuals with Down syndrome, would be the perfect way to hit the organization’s mission of education, advocacy and connections while offering an opportunity for the Down syndrome community to shine, Haughery said. Also, a fashion show would allow everyone to get in the football fashion spirit.
A model call went out on the nonprofit’s socials and newsletter, and the response was overwhelming, Haughery said. So many people wanted to participate that organizers had to limit it to 20 models.
The sports fan fashions came from The Blue Willow, Gigi’s, The Lili Pad and Bandwagon. Other Cahaba Heights merchants wanted to participate and did so by donating gift cards and merchandise for gift basket giveaways.
This isn’t the first time Cahaba Heights merchants and Down Syndrome Alabama have partnered for an event. Last year, for example, there was a World Down Syndrome Day Spirit Night and Awareness Event at Troup’s Pizza. Gigi’s and Troup’s employ individuals with Down syndrome and other special needs and understand the value of inclusive hiring, Haughery said.
Kathy Olive, a member of Down Syndrome Alabama’s board of directors, noted their next big event will be the Step Up Walk fundraiser at Wald Park, in Vestavia Hills, on Oct. 20. Organizers are looking for volunteers and sponsorships for the event.
