Fashion for a cause

Leo District 306 C1 presents “Flamboyance 2011” in aid of transit home for outpatients at National Cancer Institute

This year Leo District 306 C1 have taken the initiative to help patients of the Maharagama Cancer Hospital by organizing a charity fashion show titled “Flamboyance 2011” jointly with Prassanna Pathmanathan the head of Marketing,

Cameron Pale and Medina whose also a fashion journalist, publicist and critique from the fashion industry. Prassanna throughout his fashion career has featured many designers, models and top celebrities locally and internationally and organized fashion shows with great success.

Flamboyance 2011 will showcase the talents of the new and upcoming fashion designers of the Sri Lankan industry. Hence, this landmark project in addition to being a fundraiser for the transit home of cancer patients it will also be a platform for the young and aspiring fashion designers which will uplift the Sri Lankan fashion industry in terms of introducing new designers, models and new talent.  By the end of November the announcement will be made to the designers to send in their applications. Secondly, the applicants will be called and panel of judges will select the top 12 new designers based on their sketches on casual wear, evening wear and fusion wear.  The final show is scheduled to be held on 30 January 2011 at Galadari, Colombo. In the final show the selected 12 designers will show their collection and seven top personalities of Sri Lankan show biz industry will be invited to judge the show and to select the overall best designer of the year and they will be awarded with cash prizes and trophies.

This event will be choreographed by former Miss Sri Lanka Rozanne Diasz who doesn’t need any formal introduction. The new designers will be advised to construct their garments under the guidance of our famous fashion designers of the industry. The designers will design their garments in three categories namely, casual wear, evening wear and fusion wear. The top models of the fashion industry will model these new designers’ collections at the final grand show. In between to add colors to the event four established designers will show their collections using the upcoming new models.

“Flamboyance 2011” The word itself conveys a promise of glitz, pomp and splendor. This stunning extravaganza for a praiseworthy cause partnered by many experts from the fashion industry and others will surely deliver new experience for the participants and the viewers without a doubt. Flamboyance 2011 and its fringe events are certainly worth keeping an eye out for.

Every year fundraisers are conducted to collect funds for these valuable service projects. After careful consideration Leo District 306 C1 has identified a segment of people who are desperately in need their help. These are the outpatients at the National Cancer Institute, Maharagama (NCI). Out of 850 patients at NCI more than 25% are outpatients who come in for one day cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy from all parts of the country. And these patients are not allocated beds at the hospital as there is a 25% shortage of beds. Hence they are forced to find accommodations on the floor, in wards and on corridors which doesn’t contain the required sterile environment needed for recovery from cancer treatments.

Hence ‘CCC Foundation’ has come forward to fund the construction of the ‘CCC House’, a transit home for children and adult outpatients at the NCI, Maharagama. Phase one of this project is completed and this consists of 140 beds for outpatients and their careers. This was officially opened on 3 September 2010 in the presence of Minister Maithripala Sirisena. However this doesn’t cover the needs of even half the outpatients at NCI. Hence Phase II of ‘CCC House’ Project will be launched in December 2010. It is our hope to get-together with ‘CCC Foundation’ and fund the building of this transit home.

The Leo District 306 C1 is the youth extension of the world’s largest non-government service club organization known as “The International Association of Lions Clubs”. In total, more than 144,000 young people in 139 countries are proud to serve others in their local communities and to call themselves Leos. These young community leaders are friendly, active and dedicated to creating new and exciting opportunities.

The Leo District 306C1, Sri Lanka of Lions Clubs International consists of 18 fully active individual Leo clubs with a membership of more than 350 young Leos. Every year valuable service projects are conducted by Leos which brings smiles to the faces of the poor, needy and downtrodden in the society.