Can’t think of what to do?

Are your little ones keep complaining — as little ones have complained for generations — “there’s nothing to do, I’m bored”?

No worries. We have listed here, in honor of the 30 days of May, Thirty fun fit activities to do on your feet. This way, you are celebrating fitness and keeping your kids from being “bored,” all at the same time!

Create “Activity Day,” and see if you can do everything on the list in one day. Or pick one activity a day for 30 days. Most of all, have fun!

1)   Have a relay race

2)   Go for a funny walk: skip, run, kangaroo hops, sashay

3)   Play monkey in the middle soccer

4)   Climb a tree

5)   Go for a walk in the woods or go rock climbing (if there’s a stream, stop for a while and skip rocks)

6)   Create and run through an outdoor obstacle course

7)   Jump rope-whom ever jumps the longest without tripping gets to decide on the next activity

8)   Jump Double Dutch, or learn how to

9)   Play tag

10) Play h-o-r-s-e with a basketball

11)  Shoot hoops-whom ever shoots 10 baskets first gets to decide on the next activity

12)  Grab a racket of any kind and a ball and count how many “back and forths” you and a partner get with the ball

13) Learn to juggle

14) Play a game of, “can you do this?”

15) Play the “donate game” (go through old toys and decide what’s for give-away)

16) Play “hide and seek” outside (enlist the neighbors)

17) Go to a local orchard and pick fruit

18) Enjoy a water balloon fight

19) Play baseball with your dog (you hit, he fetches)

20) Play hopscotch

21) Play “running bases”

22) Wake up early and go for a sunrise hike (bring the camera)

23)  Go to sleep a little later and go for a sunset hike (bring the camera)

24) Make an outdoor scavenger hunt

25) Spin until you’re dizzy, the run 50 meter dash.

26) Pick your favorite songs and dance to them

27) Go to a playground and use every piece of equipment

28) Take a walk through a city and play and play the alphabet game

29) Have a jumping for distance competition-whomever jumps the farthest picks the next activity

30) Play follow the leader and make sure kids do everything you do (including picking up their toys and putting them away while you walk around the house)

Have fun with your fun fit activities!

Cari Shane, writer

May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. As the weather turns nicer and you and your children are outside more than ever playing everything from organized sports to games of tag and running bases, we want you to stay injury-free, especially foot injury-free.

If your child has a foot injury, s/he needs to be seen by a medical professional.

That said, we have outlined for you tips to prevent foot injuries.

1. Make sure your children’s shoes fit properly: All parents know that their children seem to miraculously grow overnight. If your child is taller in the morning, it’s likely his/her feet are wider or longer, too. Get feet measured (read our blog on age-by-age measure checks) to make sure toes and heels are not being squeezed. Every time you purchase a new pair of shoes for your child, make sure s/he gets measured first. Buy shoes at the end of the day, because feet swell as the day progresses.
2. Match your child’s shoes to his/her activity: Walking shoes, for instance, have different features than do running shoes, soccer shoes, or “fancy” shoes. A child shouldn’t spend all day every day in “fancy” shoes. Nor should s/he regularly play sports in flip flops or sandals.
3. Buy shoes that “speak” to your child’s foot: Make sure your fitter chooses shoes for your child that are right for his/her foot and not just focus on the shoe that looks good. An over-pronator, for example, one whose feet naturally roll inward too much, should consider “motion control shoes.” Some children have high-arches and some have flat feet. Make sure to ask your fitter to truly assess your child’s foot. Here’s a do-it-at home method for foot assessment. All you need is a foot, a brown bag and some water. Wet your child’s foot and place it down on the brown bag.
4. Heel pain prevention: Heel spurs are caused by calcium deposits on the underside of the heel bone.  When the plantar fascia is stretched and pulls away from the heel, calcium deposits can form to fill in the gap. This causes the heel spur. People with unusually high arches or flat feet can develop the problem. To prevent heel spurts, medical experts recommend wearing a shoe that supports the arch. Additionally, shoes should be warn from morning to night beginning the moment feet have hit the floor. Shoe inserts or orthotic devices are recommended as well. Stretching exercises, physical therapy and taping the foot to rest stressed muscles and tendons is also known to help.
   • High arch: If the imprint is mostly just the heel and the toes and there is a big gap in between, your child has a high arch. Tell your fitter when buying shoes for your child.
   • Flat feet: If you see a wide footprint on the paper bag and the imprint is completely filled in, your child’s foot is likely flat. Shoes purchased should offer extra support. Tell your fitter.
5. Wear heels moderation: Some body types can handle a heel. According to orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Richard Reff in Kensington, Maryland, those with high arched feet are actually “more comfortable when wearing a heel than when wearing a flat shoe. People with high arches run the risk of injury, from shin splints, to foot and heel pain, to planter faciitis. Children with high arches who are wearing an improperly fitted shoe will suffer a lot of pain. A heel can actually eliminate the pain,” says Reff.
6. Wear flip-flops in moderation: Some medical experts say, skip the flip- flops altogether, especially if your child is an “overpronater.” Those who tend to roll their feet will roll even more in a flip-flop because there is so little support; that, in turn, means little stability and therefore higher risk of injury. For those with children who cannot give up the flip-flop fashion statement, limit wearing to pool-sides and beaches (no all-day wearing and definitely not for walking events) and ask fitters for flip-flops with built-in arch support.
7. Bare those feet in moderation: It’s hard to resist the warmth of spring and summer, but it’s easier to injure feet when they are bare because they are unprotected and therefore open to stubbed toes, cuts and bruises, especially outdoors. Wear “shower shoes” in school and health club locker rooms to prevent fungal infections. Medical experts recommend that diabetics should never go barefoot, because it will be harder for them to ward off infection.
8. Preventing Infections: A few easy ideas…
   • Cut toenails straight across to avoid ingrown nails.
   • Moisturize dry skin on the foot to prevent bacteria from entering the foot through cracked, dry skin.
   • Bring your own tools to the nail salon for pedicures.

We would like to wish a special foot-injury send off to those participating in the upcoming Girls on the Run Montgomery County event on May 19th. We are a very proud sponsor of the run. May fast-feet be with you, girls. Run your hearts out!

Writer, Cari Shane

Time: It’s a key word for any runner. But it’s not only about race speed. Even before a race, make sure to stress to athletes other key issues concerning time. Emphasize the need for athletes to give themselves ample time to prep for race day; remind athletes not skimp on the time it takes to purchase a pair of properly fitted shoes; and, remind your athletes to make sure that those new shoe purchases take place well before race day so there is “break-in” time. Just on-time for the run, here are some steps to follow:

1. MAKE SURE TO GET ATHLETIC SHOES FITTED PROPERLY

Shoes that are not properly fitted could cause serious foot issues such as heel pain or tightness around the instep. To avoid problems with bunions, blisters, calluses, painful tendonitis and even inflammation of the growth centers of the bones, proper fit is imperative. For those children with contracted toes, physical and other medical conditions, a thorough evaluation is recommended. Proper fit means diagnosing foot composition, running and walking motion, and how that motion affects your feet.

2. IF SHOES DON’T FEEL RIGHT NOW, THEY’RE NOT GOING TO FEEL RIGHT LATER

An ill-fitting shoe is an ill-fitting shoe. Do not expect the running process to cure any problems you feel during the fitting process. If the shoe does not feel comfortable or causes pain during the fitting, move on to the next option.

3.   WALK FIRST, THEN RUN

The first time you wear your new athletic shoes should be walking around the house and “running” errands. It’s a good “snapshot” in to how the shoes will feel on race-day. If they don’t feel right at home, they won’t feel right on race-day. Bring ill-fitting shoes back to the store and make sure to get all athletic shoes properly fitted by a professional, see step #1, above.

4.   PHASE THEM IN

Phase your new shoes into your running routine gradually, using them for only a few of your runs for the first two weeks and increasing their use until you have adjusted to them. Then use them for every run. If the shoe doesn’t feel right, proper fit could be the problem. If that’s the case, go back to step #1, above and make sure to get your new athletic shoes properly fitted.

5.   TAKE “BREAK-IN” NOTES

During the breaking in process, keep notes on what doesn’t feel right. Then, when going to a store that properly fits shoes, you can explain exactly what the problem is, rather than just saying, “they hurt.” For example, make a note if it’s the arch of the foot that hurts after a run, then tell the fitter. The information will be crucial to finding the right shoe for you.

6.   DON’T FORGET YOUR OTHER PARTS

Consider more than just your feet when breaking in a new pair of shoes. The feet are a part of your whole. Your feet may feel fine, but an aching back could be an indication of a shoe problem. Good information to add to your “break-in” notes, step #5 above.

Written by Cari Shane

So this month in “Footnotes,” we celebrate Shoe Train’s anniversary.

“Ed!” you’ll hear people say when mentioning the children’s shoe store, “I remember Ed! When I was a kid, we always went to Shoe Train to shop for our shoes!” It’s a typical response around town. And for those who still live here and are raising children in the Washington, D.C. area, Shoe Train remains the place to buy children’s shoes. Shoe Train has moved on to its third generation of customers: Parents — who are, in fact, now grandparents – arrive with their own grown children in tow, and behind them or cradled in their arms, their children. “It’s very fulfilling for sure,” says Ed of the continued popularity and longevity of the store. “There is not a week that goes by that a first generation customer does not stop in just to say, ‘hello’.”

So, what’s the secret of the “little engine that could,” a store that survived a number of recessions, the advent of huge box stores and on-line retail, if not more? Ph.Ds and students of finance have studied small business failures and success, books have been written on the subject, economic pundits have debated the rise and fall of our nation’s retail, and millions of pounds of ink has been used to discuss the subject in articles from Forbes to the Wall Street Journal to the Washington Post. But for Ed, the “why” of his success is not a difficult question. A man who doesn’t like to complicate things and who is always at the ready with a sharp, and laugh out loud funny, wit as well as a constant smile, Ed explains his success very simply: “Always remain connected and know your customers’ likes and dislikes. Set specific goals from the outset and translate this feedback and experience to marketing your business.” Ed points out that in the 90s, his focus was on “internet purchasing. I knew if I did not re-focus my business and take it to the next level I would lose my competitive edge.”

It was about that time that Ed began evaluating children who require orthotics and, by the mid-90s, Shoe Train began carrying orthotics. “It is essential that as a retailer you must separate yourself from all of the competition by creating a niche market,” explains Ed. “The rest is history!”

A lot of history!

A lot of community spirit, too.

And now, the Best of Bethesda 2013, too.

So, what’s the secret formula? “Lots of luck and customer loyalty,” says Ed. “That’s why we made it. It takes commitment and hard work to last this long. Plus, one must always be at the cutting edge or there will be somebody else to push you out of the way.”

And 20 years later, with a new owner at the helm, Shoe Train remains cutting edge, and today is even more of a hallmark of the community with the advent of owner Marina Fradlin’s brainchild, “Events Engine.” (link to community page)  Known not only for its dedication to customer service and expertise in proper fit, with Fradlin in the conductor’s seat, Shoe Train is also now an engineer of fashionable children’s shoes.

Ed continues to work the floor four days a week along side the dedicated staff that helped him build his business. Collectively, the store has more than 80 years of shoe fitting experience. From Bill to Kenny, our fitters have been at the store for decades.

Originally from NYC, Ed “fell” into the shoe business with a part time gig in the 1970’s at a children’s shoe store in Pithiest, Maryland. What he soon learned is that he much preferred interacting with people than working at a desk as a programmer, a job he’d been doing since the age of 16 and which he continued pursuing while in the army. “I knew I was done with the confinement of programming,” recalls Ed. “I enjoyed interacting with customers, especially the kids.”

Ed decided that the shoe business would be his life’s work. In 1973, and just six years later, Shoe Train was born.

So what about the name? That’s an easy one: “My wife Norma and our then six year old son, Jeff, and I were in the car. Having signed a lease, the next step was to name the store. We asked Jeff, ‘if you went to a children’s shoe store, what would you want it to be called?’ He came right out with ‘Shoe Train’.”

The first store opened at the Mini Mall at 1075 Seven Locks Road in Rockville. The mall no longer stands. Shoe Train moved to the Cabin John Mall on January 1^st, 1997.

Now, as Shoe Train heads into its 35^th year, it’s time to celebrate.

Happy Anniversary Shoe Train!

If you have photos to share of YOUR family’s Shoe Train experience, please go to our Facebook page (link) and post. Let us know when and the ages of your children. We’d love to celebrate with you!

As athletes, both female and male, flock to the Capitol to celebrate, “National Girls and Women in Sports Day” (NGWSD), Shoe Train will be showing its support for female athletes through its sponsorship of Girls on the Run Montgomery County, “a charitable organization that offers unique, life-changing, after school programs for 3rd through 8th grade girls.”

“I’m a proud sponsor of Girls on the Run because it promotes healthy habits and an active lifestyle for girls,” says Marina Fradlin, owner of Shoe Train. “Additionally, ‘National Girls and Women in Sports Day,’ is an important day that should not be overlooked, and that’s why we are celebrating NGWSD at Shoe Train.”

Backed by a coalition of five foundations, including the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport and the Women Sports Foundation, each year for nearly two decades, leading advocates of girls and women in sports have come to Washington, D.C. to educate lawmakers and combat discrimination. National Girls and Women in Sports Day is not just a day to celebrate the achievements of women in sports but, according to the Women Sports Foundation, it is a day to focus on…

(1) the importance of remedying past discrimination against women in sports

(2) the benefits of sports participation for girls

(3) addressing the myths that have kept both boys and girls from supporting girls’ sports participation; myths such as:

• “throws like a girl”
• girls who play sports are lesbians
• girls who do gymnastics get eating disorders

While it was 39 years ago that Title IX was enacted to give an equal chance to female athletes, according to the Women Sports Foundation, statistics show that not only do “high school girls still receive 1.3 million fewer participation opportunities than do boys,” but also that funding for girls’ sports programs continues pale as compared to the money spent on boys’ programs.

NGWSD has grown from a single event in 1987 honoring Olympic volleyball star Flo Hyman into a nationwide celebration spanning all 50 states.

The athletes who will lobby this year on behalf of the 2013 Girls and Women in Sports Day include:

Grete Eliassen, a six-time Winter X Games medalist.  A current member of our Athlete Advisory Board, Eliassen is deep in the trenches of our advocacy and mission-related work. This will be her fourth time lobbying for NGWSD on Capitol Hill.

Dr. Lillian Greene-Chamberlain, Ph.D. has been a leader in developing health education, physical fitness, recreation and sports programs  for more than 30 years. The first U.S. National Champion in 800m, Dr. Greene-Chamberlain has worked closely with the Foundation for decades. 

Nancy Hogshead-Makar is a three-time Olympic gold medalist and the WSF Senior Director of Advocacy. One of the country’s foremost experts on gender equity in education under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Hogshead-Makar will bring her unmatched expertise to NGWSD 2013.

Sarah Hughes won a figure skating Olympic gold medal in 2002 in Salt Lake City. A 2009 graduate of Yale University, Hughes will be joining us on Capitol Hill for the second time this year.

Rower Ester Lofgren is an Olympic gold medalist who also competed in crew at Harvard University. She will be joining us at National Girls and Women in Sports Day for the first time this year.

Cari Shane, writer

As a result of our commitment to you, YOU, the consumer, our loyal customers, have thanked us for doing what we do best, fitting your children properly. Thanks to you, for the first time in our 30-year (plus) history, Shoe Train was Voted Best Local Shoe Store by the readers of Bethesda Magazine, 2013.

We thank you for your support and we will continue to support you and our community.

This past year we made donations of gently used shoes to shelters and created exciting, fun and educational complimentary community outreach events and community programs (“Events Engine”) which we will continue in 2013.

Coming up this year, we have already kicked off our new “Shoe Tying with Mr. Bill.” For those who would like to sign up for this complimentary class, please use this LINK HERE to go to our contact page to sign up for the class. Shoe Train will respond with a confirmation email.

Upcoming in February, Shoe Train is hosting Carnival Day on February 26^th which just happens to be, “Carnival Day.” Join us for a fun afternoon of complimentary games in the atrium of Cabin John Mall, directly in front of Shoe Train.

Taking a look back at 2012, we were pleased to host some very popular and successful community events.

In August of this year we hosted, “Flip into Fashion,” a run way fashion show with more than 50 models showing off Shoe Train’s hottest fashions for fall and winter. While the event was a fun show, the community outreach event was also a back to school supply drive that supported the MCPS Back to School Fair. More than 300 school supplies were collected for Montgomery County families in need.

The “Events Engine” brought to Shoe Train in April pediatric orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Richard Reff and former Harlem Globetrotter, Mike Wilson, for Youth Sports Safety Month and our event, “Don’t let your kids’ sports injuries ‘spin’ out of control.” While kids learned basketball tricks, parents learned how to prevent sports injuries.

In March we teamed up with Cabin John Miniature Train and Shoe Train hosted, “Walk in the park, ride on the train” and gave away tickets for opening weekend of the 2012 CJ Train season.

In January 2012, Shoe Train hosted, National Measure Your Feet Day with “Feet Facts for Fun and Show & Tell.” All participants received give-aways and, with the help of parents and guardians, children learned how to measure their feet, learned some fun feet facts and even had a chance to “Show & Tell” what they learned.

Also in January, Shoe Train kicked off 2012 with its first-ever “Events Engine,” bringing in Dr. Julie Bindeman, Licensed Psychologist who presented, “Transitions: Cruising, Walking, Running,” a talked aimed at the parents of new walkers to teach them how these milestones offer children their first taste of independence and autonomy. Dr. Bindeman discussed with parents how to encourage this natural transition.

Thank you for all of your support as we “support” your children with properly fitted, fashionable and athletic shoes.

Voted Best Local Shoe Store by the readers of Bethesda Magazine, 2013.

Introducing, Shoe Train’s “Shoe Tying with Mr. Bill,” a complimentary class for children 5 and up that will be held at the Cabin John store the second Wednesday of every month.

Our first class teaching children how to tie their shoes will be held on Wednesday, January 9^th from 4pm to 4:30pm at Shoe Train.

A teacher of grand proportions, Mr. Bill can loop a lace like no other. But more important, Mr. Bill knows how to teach his shoe tying skills to young children so they can get those laces work for them on their own.

Because we will be keeping the classes small, (no more than 6 children/class), we are requiring reservations for the classes that will run from 4 to 4:30pm.

Please use this LINK HERE to go to our contact page to sign up for the class. Please fill out the form with your name (parent’s name), your e-mail address, “Shoe Tying with Mr. Bill” in the subject line and in the message section please include your child’s name, his/her birthday and the date of the class you would like to reserve. Shoe Train’s owner, Marina Fradlin, will respond with a confirmation e-mail.

These classes will be very popular, so please sign up early.

Shoe Tying with Mr. Bill

• Ages: 5 and up.
• Day: Clinics offered 2^nd Wednesday of the month
• Time: 4 – 4:30pm
• RSVP Required

In other words… lots of white stuff.

If you lived in the Washington, D.C. area last winter, you’ll recall that we didn’t have much of a winter. We are supposed to get about 15 inches in the cold months. Shoe Train spoke with meteorologist Howard Bernstein at WUSA-TV, Channel 9 and we were surprised to hear that last the total number of inches reported at Reagan National (the official reporting station for DC), during the 2011-2012 winter was only two-inches.

“We’ll probably get more than average this year,” says Bernstein, who is predicting that we’ll top our normal and get up to 20 inches at National Airport and 25 to 30 for Dulles, which is inland and a little colder. “Ski areas will be able to make snow more often than last season.”

Predicting even more white flakes, is accuweather which leads its predictions with a headline that may make some catch their breath (and children cheer): Snow Doom for US Northeast Winter 2012 – 2013: NYC, Philly, DC: Winter 2012-2013 will be “Snow” Joke.

“Following a snow drought during winter 2011-2012, the mid-Atlantic and southern New England will get a snow dump this winter,” writes Meteorologist Meghan Evans, of accuweather. “Above-normal snowfall is forecast for the major

I-95 cities, including New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., during winter 2012-2013. “The I-95 cities could get hit pretty [well]. It’s a matter of getting the cold to phase in with the huge systems that we are going to see coming out of the southern branch of the jet stream this year,” AccuWeather.com Lead Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok said.

The cold is expected to phase with the big storms during January and February with the potential for large snowstorms to make headlines and create travel headaches in the major cities.”

If you want to know what the rest of the 2012 and the beginning of 2013 will look like, the Farmer’s Almanac has its predictions laid out. 20/20 hindsight shows that, so far, they’re right. And here’s what they are saying about our winter: “Cold winter with snow, sleet, rain ahead.”

DECEMBER 2012: temperature 38° (1° below avg.); precipitation 4.5″ (1.5″ above avg.); Dec 1-5: Rainy periods, mild;Dec 6-10: Sunny, cool; Dec 11-14: Showers, then sunny, mild; Dec 15-20: Rain and snow, then sunny, cold; Dec 21-25: Periods of rain and snow, turning cold; Dec 26-29: Snow showers, cold; Dec 30-31: Ice and snow, cold.

JANUARY 2013: temperature 35° (avg.); precipitation 2.5″ (1″ below avg.); Jan 1-5: Snow showers, then sunny, very cold; Jan 6-10: Snow to rain, then sunny, cold; Jan 11-15: Sunny, mild; Jan 16-20: Rain to snow, then sunny, seasonable; Jan 21-27: Rainy periods, mild; Jan 28-31: Sunny, seasonable. And we will leave you with this. The Farmer’s Almanac has pegged February 12–15 and March 20–23 for “major coastal storms along the Atlantic seaboard,” drumming up a word with which we all became way too familiar three years ago: “potential repeats of Snowmageddon-like storms.”

Prepare for the falling hammer and cover those toes,

We’ve given you info to keep you in the know(s).

We really don’t want you caught unaware,

It is what it is, though it might not seem fair.

The snow is coming we may not be thrilled,

Our children will cheer, many snowmen they’ll build.

We have short boots and tall boots for children to wear,

And even will sell you those warm boots in pairs.

Prepare for the doom, our boots are on sale,

Half-priced and fashionable in prep for the gale.

Cari Shane, writer

Therefore, it’s important to check to see if your children have outgrown their shoes. Also, if they haven’t grown, are their shoes worn and therefore no longer fitting properly? Below, we have created for you a Shoe Check List that works with our complimentary shoe-check.

Ages 1-2: Children’s shoes should be checked every two-and-a-half (2.5) to four (4) months.

Ages 3-4: Check children’s shoes every four (4) to five (5) months

Ages 5-7: Children’s shoes should be checked for sizing and wear and tear every six (6) months. Beginning at this age, too, parents should consider purchasing more than one pair of shoes for their children because of wear and tear. A second pair of shoes will make both pairs last longer; plus, alternating shoes is healthier for feet.

Ages 8-11: Check children’s shoes every six (6) months to nine (9) months. Children this age should have more than one pair shoes

A check is just a check. If your children don’t need new shoes, then you shouldn’t buy a new pair.

Here’s some more helpful information about shoes for your walker as well as your non-walker:

Ages 0-15 months: Non-walkers do not need to wear shoes. In fact, going barefoot is good for muscle development. A child learns and senses by feeling the ground underneath. As long as the environment is safe and warm, let your child go barefoot.

Ages 9-15 months: Barefoot in a safe environment is best. If shoes must be warn for protection or warmth, a flexible foot covering is all that a child needs. Somewhere around 11 to 13 months, most children begin to take first solo steps. At this time shoes become important (see ages 13-15 months).

Ages 13-15 months: Footwear should be flexible and provide a normal heel to toe off-stance for the walking child. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, “high-top shoes offer no advantages in terms of foot or ankle support over their low-cut counterparts.”

Age 2: Proper fit and flexibility remain the top two priorities for this walking, running, jumping mover.

Ages 3 – 5: At this age, children will begin voicing their opinions about the kind of shoe they want. Shoe Train fitters take very seriously their job of directing children to the proper shoe that will not only work for a child’s foot but also their growing fashion sense.

Ages 6-plus: With their fashion senses in full swing, children in this age group will direct the fitter to the styles they need to have. At Shoe Train our fitters take very seriously a child’s fashion wants as well as the need to have a properly fitted shoe.

Writer, Cari Shane

It was a moment for all to shine on the runway spotlight. And a good cause to “boot.” A community outreach event, “Flip” paired a children’s fashion show with a back to school supply drive supporting the Montgomery County Public School Back to School Fair. Shoe Train helped boost the school supply drive for MCPS by collecting more than 300 school supplies for Montgomery County families in need. It costs an average $75 per child to properly fit a student with the supplies needed for school so we thank you for your efforts, donations and support.

The fashion show was in the atrium of the Cabin John Mall. With the backing of Carl M. Freeman Companies (mall and center management), as well as the dozens of Cabin John Mall and Center businesses, our corporate sponsors and supporters, we built an unbelievable event.

Our models, aged 2 to 13 and a half and hailing from 32 families, strutted down a real runway ripe with lights and background music. With a clever and often funny script written by sasse agency, which produced this spectacular event, the models were introduced by MC, “Ice,” of the incredibly talented Glyde Productions  which also built the runway, stage and sound system as well as music for “Flip into Fashion.”

With additional corporate sponsor, Michael Bennett Kress Photography — taking professional photos of our volunteer models – the event was captured in memories and print forever.

Little eyes fell out of the little heads when the 50 models saw the runway exit – an unparalleled 13-foot structure: a tree. Built by Capital Décor and Events, also a corporate sponsor, our models jumped off the runway and walked through the arch of the tree, then exited under a black, drawn curtain and down a red carpet.  ”What an amazing event. The excitement and energy in the faces of the children and the proud looks from the parents was a sight to be hold,” said Jody Jenkins, of Capital Décor and Events, who built the tree. “It’s a wonderful feeling knowing that on this particular evening people [came] together to help children in need acquire basic school supplies that most of us take for granted.”

Without a doubt, the favorite moment for all those involved, from parents to spectators to the corporate sponsors and the models themselves, was watching the children walk the runway and exit in awe through the tree.

“Awesome,” says Capital Décor and Events’ Jenkins.

Especially awesome because more than 300 school supplies were collected for Montgomery County families in need.