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Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocate Eric Dane said it all when he told the crowd of 1,400 “as we get older we like to seek out warm places. And there isn’t a place more welcoming and warm than this room.”

Such was the vibe at this year’s Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show–the largest fundraiser for Down syndrome in the world. When celebrities and models say that this runway is more fun and exciting than any other show they’ve ever been in, that’s saying something.

Dane and fellow Qunicy Jones Exceptional Advocate David Egan gave heartfelt speeches to accept their award, and event chair Amanda Booth was bubbling over with exuberance at once again being a part of this wonderful event–including a video showcasing her very lively and lovable son Micah. Force-of-nature Michelle Sie Whitten (president, CEO and co-founder of the Global Down Syndrome Foundation) shared with the crowd some good news about legislative and medical advances.

But the off-the-charts vibrance of the BBBY fashion show is unparalled. Celebrities and models could barely contain their excitement and the ear-to-ear smiles lit up the room. There were poses and waves and dance moves that delivered the uninhibited energy that only this event can generate.

BBBY raises funds to support the Global Down Syndrome Foundation. Their goal is to significantly improve the lives of people with Down syndrome through research, medical care, education and advocacy. They work to educate governments, educational organizations and society in order to affect legislative and social changes so that every person with Down syndrome has an equitable chance at a satisfying life.

You know the old saying, “Dance Like No One’s Watching?” The models in the now world-famous Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion show for the Global Down Syndrome Foundation dance like everyone’s watching.

The Be Beautiful Be Yourself fashion show seems to define the word “celebrate” every year. In this 10th year iteration, it seems we need to create a word that means “over-the-top, ultra-celebration.”

It isn’t just the celebrities like Jamie Foxx, who comes pretty much every year to support his sister, Global ambassador DeOndra Dixon. And Colin Farrell, new this year to the red carpet ….And Denver Broncos Case Keenum, Von Miller, Brandon McManus, Jeff Heuerman and others, fresh off a resounding win in Arizona.

Co-Chairs Brittany Bowlen and Kacey Bingam did an excellent job this year as a dynamic duo.

There were some off-script surprises–when the live auction seemed to be stalling abit, Jamie Foxx strode on stage to auction off Von Miller’s shiny jacket–the winning bidder? Broncos quarterback Case Keenum, who bid $35,000 for it. Jamie brought up his other celebrity buddies including Colin Farrell, Jeremy Renner, Peter Kudla and John C McGinley to create some impromtu auction packages that raised $ tens of thousands extra for Global.

Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Awards went to Colin Farrell and Zack Gottsagen, both actors and advocates for those who are differently-abled.

But the real stars are the models. This year, as in all years past, they strutted, posed, danced and smiled as the 1,400+ attendees in the room cheered and clapped through the roof. If this isn’t a celebration, we don’t know what is.

BBBY raises funds to support the Global Down Syndrome Foundation. Their goal is to significantly improve the lives of people with Down syndrome through research, medical care, education and advocacy. They work to educate governments, educational organizations and society in order to affect legislative and social changes so that every person with Down syndrome has an equitable chance at a satisfying life. Today, the annual Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show is the largest fundraiser for Down syndrome in the world. With the $2.4 million raised this year, more than $18,000,000 has been raised for Down syndrome research, medical care, advocacy and education. Equally important, it has raised major awareness regarding the shocking disparity of funding for people with Down syndrome, while successfully emphasizing their abilities.

To learn how you can help, visit www.globaldownsyndrome.org.

Quincy Jones has a motto: “Love, Laugh, Live and Give.”

No better words to describe the huge and glorious fundraiser to benefit the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, where a sold-out crowd of 1,300 people raised more than $2.5 million to give to the Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome and the Sie Center for Down Syndrome. This astounding figure didn’t even include a $1 million gift from the Salah Foundation, announced by Noreen Salah Burpee.

But what makes this event so much fun and memorable are the models, who are completely uninhibited and brimming with happiness and creativity on the runway. The show was the culmination of a magical evening in which the Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award was given to Madeline Stuart and actress Eva Longoria. “How fitting that the Quincy Jones award was given by Quincy Jones,” remarked co-emcee Tom Green–and it was good to see Mr. Jones back on the Denver stage.

Michelle Sie Whitten, president and CEO of the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, is a tireless advocate for improving the lives of those with Down Syndrome, and she surrounds herself with the best in the medical, political, business, community and family fields who have the same goal in mind. Yes, Michelle and all those involved, you get an A+ for this evening.

Frank Stephens, the 2016 Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award recipient put it this way: “people who happen to have Down Syndrome are an unusual source of happiness.”

You can say that again. Every year, the Be Beautiful Be Yourself fashion show demonstrates that the models with Down syndrome, their families, the celebrity escorts….pretty much everyone in the room can’t stop smiling. The models strutted and vamped on the runway with no inhibitions and the crowd clapped and shouted wildly. You rarely see the President and CEO of the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, Michelle Sie Whitten, without a 500-watt smile.

True to past years, the event attracted many A-list celebrities, including Jamie Foxx (whose sister DeOndra was one of the models and has been heavily involved in Global for many years), Peyton Manning, Hilary Swank, Queen Latifah, Matt Dillon, model Amanda Booth, Miss Colorado Shannon Patilla, John C McGinley and several local sports stars and Broncos cheerleaders. Bright stars as they are, they all were quickly upstaged by the models, who danced and twirled and soaked up the limelight.

Frank Stephens gave a hilarious speech in accepting his Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award. (He talked about Ashley Manning wanting Peyton to take her on an exotic vacation, but “he only wants to go to Omaha, Omaha, Omaha.”)

Mario Lopez brought his famous dimples to co-emcee with Kim Christiansen this year, and John C McGinley’s daughter Billie Grace showed that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree in talent as she gave a quick speech.

The Global Down Syndrome Foundation is dedicated to significantly improving the lives of people with Down syndrome through Research, Medical care, Education and Advocacy. Formally established in 2009, the Foundation’s primary focus is to support the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, the first academic home in the United States committed solely to research and medical care for people with Down syndrome. Since Down syndrome is the least-funded genetic condition in the United States, fundraising and government advocacy to correct the alarming disparity of national funding for people with Down syndrome is a major goal.

The recurring theme from family and friends of people with Down Syndrome is that they are a special gift. They exist on such an uninhibited and happy plane that they bring so much joy to those around them. As the family of Global Down Syndrome Foundation Ambassador Steven Dulcie put it, “Steven is the silver lining in a day.”

The fun atmosphere was prevalent again this year at the Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show as celebrities and models vamped on the runway to wild applause and cheers from the 1,200 well-heeled guests.

Oscar winner Jamie Foxx, whose sister is Global Ambassador DeOndra Dixon (who regularly upstages Jamie everywhere from the Grammy Awards to video shoots) was on hand again this year to promote the cause, along with other well known supporters such as Helen Hunt, Laura Dern, John C McGinley, Alec Baldwin, golfer David Duval, and several other sports and entertainment figures.

Longtime supporter and supermodel Beverly Johnson, whose niece Natalie Fuller has Down Syndrome, received the Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award, and so did advocate Brad Hennefer.

Kim Christiansen returned as extraordinary emcee, with additional remarks by force of nature Michelle Sie Whitten (executive director of Global), Governor John Hickenlooper, actor John C McGinley and Event Chairs Sharon Magness Blake and Ernie Blake. Auctioneer Jim Nye wratched up bids on some incredible live auction packages, which included not only a trip to the Superbowl, but a ride on the Broncos plane to get there; and a really nice watch from Vacheron Constantin and Hyde Park but the winner also gets to travel to Geneva, Switzerland to tour the workshop.

The real stars of the show, as they are every year and every day, were the beautiful models in the Be Beautiful Be Yourself fashion show.  The BBBY Fashion Show is the largest fundraiser for Down syndrome in the nation and has raised more than $7.6 million for Down syndrome research, medical care, advocacy and education, plus creating unprecedented awareness regarding the shocking disparity of funding for people with Down syndrome, while successfully emphasizing their abilities.

The Global Down Syndrome Foundation provides fundraising, education, awareness and government advocacy for the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome.

Tim Harris owns his own restaurant in New Mexico, where lots of great food, atmosphere and hugs abound. He has a great girlfriend, was homecoming king at his high school, lots of friends, and, as more than 1,400 guests could attest to, can vamp on the runway almost as good as DeOndra Dixon.

Tim, on hand at the Global Down Syndrome Foundation “Be Beautiful Be Yourself 2013” event, was like a magnet of sunshine and jovial camaraderie as he accepted the Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award, telling the enthusiastic crowd at the Sheraton Downtown Denver, “I’m following my dream….are you??”

Tim, who by the way was born with Down Syndrome, was part of an off-the-charts energetic program that has become one of the gems of Denver, and Washington DC’s, philanthropic circuit. Award-winning national journalist Kyra Phillips also accepted a Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award, and the 2013 Down Syndrome Ambassadors, their friends and family all took to the runway for a fashion show.

Celebrities such as model Beverly Johnson, NFL star Eric Dickerson, actor John McGinley, Todd Park Mohr of Bighead Todd and the Monsters (who later performed), Nuggets first round draft pick Kenneth Faried, Fox News’ John Roberts and several others were dwarfed by the magnetism and exuberance from the 2013 Ambassadors: Sophia Kay Whitten, Chase Turner Perry, Katherine Vollbracht Winfield, DeOndra Dixon and Samantha Marcia Stevens. Adding further effervescence to the runway were models Sofia Aarestad, Hayden Boisseaux, Opheal Bordeaux, Beth Burczyk, Tait Graham Davis, Natalie MIchelle Fuller, Kennedy Garcia, Stephen Lawson, Ben Levine, Rafi Mednick, Lexi Puga, Alexandra Shankle, Kristina Sisneros and Katie Smith. 

Global Executive Director Michelle Sie Whitten could hardly contain her excitement again this year for all the support her cause received from her parents, Anna and John Sie, event chair Ricki Rest and A-list supporters from around the region.

The 5th anniversary show was a fundraiser for the Linda Crnic Institute and the Sie Center for Down Syndrome. For more information, visit GlobalDownSyndrome.org. And look inside yourself to see if YOU are following your dream.