An Evening of Caring

Following a very well orchestrated dress rehearsal event, the main event took place flawlessly–the Sue Miller “Evening of Caring.”

The evening’s event marked not only the 30th anniversary of the original event, but also founder Sue Miller’s birthday.

The evening began with cocktails and a silent auction while guests and models alike mingled.

Following cocktail hour, the guests were invited into the ballroom for dinner. While guests were eating, the introductions began as board chair Elaine McCain welcomed guests to the evening’s event. During the dinner, designer Brooks Luby was given the 2014 Sue Miller Survivor Award. Also recognized were Christie & Walter Isenberg, who received the Lifetime of Caring Award.

The fashion show, which featured models from the original Day of Caring began after dinner.

Miller’s amazing journey was documented in five scenes that featured music by Robin Skouteris, and was visually depicted through both studio company and academy students of the Colorado Ballet.

More than 450 people attended the event.

The fashion show detailed the stages of diagnosis, treatment, recovery and survival, and goes to show that each stage of this journey possesses beauty. Though the fashions have changed in the 30 years since the first show, the stories of these models continue to give hope to the patients and families beginning their journey, as well as inspire the transformation of the ugly duckling into the beautiful swan.

It started with a fashion model following her diagnosis in 1971. She felt like an ugly duckling, not nearly the beautiful woman that she was. Following her recovery, she found her beauty once again, and soon transformed into a swan.

That woman is Sue Miller.

Ten years following her diagnosis, she was asked to stage a fashion show. Her one condition was that all models be breast cancer survivors. An event originally hosted by the Metropolitan Mastectomy Club soon became the original Day of Caring.

In the years since, she’s lobbied the Colorado legislature to require health care organizations to provide mammograms for women over 40, as well as federal funding for breast cancer research. In addition to her numerous awards, she also has helped end the ignorance and stigma associated with breast cancer and supported the people that need it most, while receiving rewards for her tireless efforts.