So much style

On Sunday afternoon in Malta, nearly 60 models strutted their stuff at the Mother's Day Style Show presented by Family Matters as a fundraiser for the H.G. Robinson House and Garden.

For the past three years, the Style Show has been held at the Great Northern after years of being held at other locations in Malta, including the H.G. Robinson House.

"The weather is so unpredictable this time of year," said Kay Hould, Phillips County Historical Society President. "When we held it at the H. G. Robinson House, we were always keeping an eye on the storm clouds."

Hould said that the staff at the GN is very helpful when it comes to assisting during the Style Show and the proximity to Family Matters – where the models for the day's event meet and dress – makes the Great Northern the perfect location for the show.

There were about 30 different types of salad on hand for the luncheon on Saturday brought to the event by various groups and people, including the Malta Dirt Daubers. There was also dessert to be had for the Style Show's guests who packed into the GN's Lodge Room.

"And then Family Matters runs the entire Style Show," Hould said. "It's a co-op and a win-win. Family Matters has been a part of the day since it first started and they do a great job."

The money raised on the day goes to the Phillips County Historical Society and this year will be given to the H.G. Robinson House Landscape Committee to continue the beautification of the area. Last December, the Historical Society purchased the old Zanto house – between the P.C. Museum and the Modes of Transportation Museum – and knocked it down. The land where the house once stood will soon be converted into a parking lot for all of the museums.

Avery Sorensen, manager at Family Matters, is in her third year as the head of the Style Show. On Saturday morning, she busily helped the 60-plus models for the day into their outfits before they headed over to the Great Northern for their trip down the runway.

"We have worked the past two weeks, with models coming in daily, to get their outfits ready in preparation for today," Sorensen said. "Today we are just getting salads ready and making sure everything is ready to go."

Part of preparing for the Style Show is writing a script that coincides with the models making their trips up and down the "runway." Sorensen said that last year the script was six pages long for the sixty models and the same held true this year.

"We like to include as many people as we can," said Sorensen. "We call on people who have been willing to be in the show in the past and then we also ask a lot of our customers as the day of the show gets closer."

The clothes at the style show varied in sizes and comfort levels. Sorensen said that each model has their own individual style and were allowed to pick out any outfit that they wanted. She said that models ranged in age from infant to the more sophisticated, seasoned models.

"We cover many age ranges and different types of clothes," she said. "We have a lot of new faces in the show this year along with many seasoned models."

Following the show, Family Matters offered customers a 20-percent discount and stayed open until 4 p.m. During the show, the store gave away six $20 gift certificate door prizes to spend in the shop.

"We always get really busy after the show," Sorensen said. "The show offers a fun and different way to interact with our customers and it is a wonderful way to promote shopping locally."