Here the fairy tale came to life... And turned into charity

To be honest, it was my first time attending such an event: a runway, models, beautiful clothes, music, applause, spotlight, camera flashes... And, you know, I was immensely happy that it was happening not somewhere out there — in the world of high fashion, which is sometimes hard to comprehend and explain (but usually, you just have to say "wow!"). But here — at the "Passage" restaurant in Northbrook (a suburb of Chicago) — everything was simple and clear. All the worries were lost amidst beauty, love, joy, and a fairy tale. Exactly a fairy tale.

Because here was the "Fairytale Gala" show — an evening for children and with the participation of children.

The organizers of this wonderful event were: Khrystyna Kleban — founder and creative director of Sova Events, which operates in the entertainment industry, creating unforgettable shows and celebrating special events, offering clients over 100 character animators and more than 30 entertainment programs; Kateryna Hrod — owner of StarKids Modeling School, a Ukrainian model, actress, and winner of the Lady of the World 2021 contest; Oleksandr Field — owner of the "Passage" restaurant, who kindly provided the venue for the gala evening, organized the buffet and professional guest service.

And the company "Star Balloons" (owner Zoryana Mryglod) took care of a wonderful photo zone — a fairy-tale castle in Disneyland style. In total, about 50 sponsors and partners joined the event. This is how all the adults managed to create a real fairy tale for the children.

It started already in the restaurant lobby — near the fairy-tale castle. Then a beautiful Christmas tree sparkled with colorful lights, where Santa greeted the children, eagerly took photos with them, and attentively listened to their wishes. And further on — a real red carpet and runway: shiny, alluring, festive...

Long before the event, the organizers announced: anyone could try themselves as a model. And there were volunteers. Even among adults, who applied not only for their children but also for themselves. And if someone walked the runway for the first time in their life, they didn't feel self-conscious. Because the experienced model and simply charming woman Kateryna Hrod willingly shared all the intricacies of the profession. And she was genuinely happy that not only her school's students but also absolute debutants — even entire families — walked the runway.

— We tried to make this evening extraordinary, — shared with the "Surma" newspaper Ms. Kateryna. — First of all, we wanted every child to feel beautiful, special, important. Secondly, our celebration is an opportunity to spend time with families, relax, capture magical moments in photos, and get into the festive spirit. It's nice that about ninety people were involved in today's fashion show — from one year old to those over fifty. They showcased clothes from the "LUXART" embroidery store, dresses for little princesses from "Layla Land Store," model clothes from the children's atelier "Magical Chest," as well as elegant models from the women's clothing boutique "ViVi Lu." I think everyone felt the festive spirit that evening.

There was. And also because the "Fairytale Gala" was not just an entertainment show.

— Yes, we want to help children develop, showcase their beauty and talents. Yes, we aimed to give them a fairy tale. But all this was also done with another purpose — charitable, — says Khrystyna Kleban. — We decided to donate part of the collected funds to the charity organization UWAA (Ukrainian Women's Association of America), which helps children in Ukraine whose lives have been shattered by war, as well as those fighting severe illnesses. We will donate another part of the funds to the "PROTEZ FOUNDATION" charity, which cares for severely wounded Ukrainian defenders, and to the "Assembly of World Diasporas" charity fund.

By the way, the chairman of the board of directors of the Assembly, Leonid Bard, presented special awards to Kateryna Hrod, Khrystyna Kleban, and Oleksandr Field — for organizing and supporting such charitable projects.

Anyone present in the hall could become a benefactor that evening. For this, there was a festive lottery with pleasant prizes, and there was also an auction where a fragrant loaf — a masterful work by Oksana Klyuiko, who specializes in home baking, was sold.

Meanwhile, the children fully enjoyed the show. Besides the fashion show, they tried themselves in Latin American dances — coach Stanislav Havrylenko willingly shared his skills. And a real storm of excitement was caused by the performance of illusionist Anna-Khrystyna Zharuk: first — tricks with balloons, ribbons, and scarves, and then... snow began to fall from a magic fan in her hands.

A fairy tale, isn't it?

There was indeed a lot of it that day. It came to life. It brought joy.

Because it was directed towards beauty, love, and charity.