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http:// --> Ashland, Oregon HOME Valley & State Sports Nation & World Opinion/Editorial Classifieds Business Columnists Obituaries Weather Archive Hot Topics Forum Photo Gallery Past Readers Polls Revels Etcetera Backpage O-Zone Special Sections Real Estate Guide Menu Guide Shakespeare Subscribe Contact Us Rate Card Place an Ad Online Games Movie Preview September 30, 2006 Male models hit the catwalk for charity By Mark A. Curci Tidings correspondent Orville Hector | Daily Tidings Ben Benjamin helps receive donations from eager patrons attending the Soroptimist Fall Fashion Show. The male models were local philanthropists assisting the Soroptimists in raising funds for the organization. See many more photos in our gallery. Work, turn to the left. Work, turn to the right. Wednesday night at the Lithia Springs Inn offered an entirely different kind of fashion show. The women of Ashland's Soroptomist Club held a benefit fashion show featuring men, many of whom are husbands or boyfriends of members, in drag to benefit women in the Rogue Valley. It was baubles and bangles and beads aplenty in the decadent inn as the dining room was absolutely packed to capacity, brimming with people eager to see some Ashland A-listers in women's clothing. This benefit was the brainchild of Carol Rae Anapolsky, who recently moved to Ashland from Gold Hill, where she said similar fundraisers were attended by two thousand people. "I presented this to them and I hope they make a lot of money," said Anapolsky. "Soroptomist does wonderful things. We're proud to be members." Anapolsky wound up performing herself later in the evening, wearing the drag outfit meant for her husband Sylvan who had a health emergency earlier in the day. "She's a woman dressing like a man dressing like a woman," said volunteer Kay Lynn Sherman. And the plot thickens. "Spectacle" comes to mind, and a certain gaudy symmetry set in following each of the evenings' emcee, Yolanda Nagel's introductions. The men, decked out fabulously, strutted down beneath a row of elegant, carved wooden fans. One faux ingénue appears from behind a shimmering black hand fan, adorned with a brilliant blue wig, looping through the crowd seeking to win their votes, which were tallied by the number of dollar bills each performer earned. As Randy Newman's "You can leave your hat on," played, the bearded man grinned, stretching a thick line of lipstick across his hirsute face, looking like a neon tipped werewolf. Backstage, volunteer Kelly Kilgras of Hair Legends tried desperately, and ultimately unsuccessfully, to cram big man feet into a pair of her tiny pumps. "This is a lot more fun than most hair shows," said Kilgras. "This is a definite Rotary fine if it hits the paper," said performer Rick Nagel. Back on stage, there were moments right of "Silence of the Lambs," as one drag queen did a weird prance/dance shimmy hybrid under a black and orange feather boa and a shock wig bouncing to and fro. Next, the wingspan of "Tori Angelica" (Troy Reynolds') fake Victoria Secret style wings wasn't quite expansive enough to capture the exuberance of a Paul Sorvino look-alike in a Marilyn Monroe style wig shucking about the room. Later in the evening, this performer took second place. The dining area/runway was a strobe shooting gallery of future blackmail photos as friends and family were all chomping at the bit to fill their digital cameras with images of dad or brother dancing in gowns and lingerie. Families cashed in on the memories as "What a feeling," the "Flashdance" theme song swept the audience away. Meanwhile, "Ricky," a gentleman up in his years with a white handlebar mustache and a flowing brunette wig was doing horrible things with one of the columns. By the end of the evening, bras were stuffed with more than just Kleenex, as the Soroptomists cleaned up, donation-wise. "It's turning out to be a pretty good fundraiser," said Sara Brown, a Soroptomist public relations volunteer. In ticket sales alone, the benefit garnered $1,500 plus $817 in dollar bills earned by the performers and a yet unknown cash flow from the bar. "From now on, I'm going to work for world peace," said Donna (Donald) Bennett, who was crowned Mr. Soroptamister for winning the contest and raising the most in dollar donations. The moneys are used to benefit Soroptomist causes, such as the Dunn House, local scholarships, the Empty Bowls hunger project and supporting the Gardenway park they manage. "Everything we do benefits not only girls in the area but around the world," said Brown. There are five Soroptimist clubs in the Rogue Valley, each dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls locally and internationally. Leave a Comment: Advertisement: Advertisement: Paid Advertising Inkjet Printers Student Loans Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Advertisement: Copyright © 2006 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers. All Rights Reserved.