Page 26 - South Mississippi Living - November, 2023

Renaissance the Runway Changes Lives One Step at a Time
story by Cherie Ward photos by Leo Ridge and Nadiya Copeland
PEOPLE
ot on the heels of a spectacular Barbielicious night, the total is
now in from the can’t-miss fashion- swagger event that raises thousands
of dollars each year to benefit children along the Gulf Coast.
Community leaders decked out in the best and latest fashions strutted, smiled, and cascaded down the catwalk at the 7th annual Renaissance the Runway. The Barbie- themed fundraising event had 70 models and a crowd of more than 600 spectators – eager with Barbie fashion fever.
The must-see show is hosted by the Bacot Foundation of South Mississippi and raised more than $250,000, surpassing last year’s total of $200,000. Numerous businesses, including IP Casino Resort Spa and Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, helped make the night a success. The IP also donated Taylor Swift concert tickets, which Butch Oustalet won with a $35,000 bid during the event’s live auction.
Todd Trenchard, the foundation’s executive director, said the themed event gets bigger and the participants more generous every year. “I could see a couple of years ago it had potential to be one of the larger events
26 | November 2023