By: Fiona Hanlon

The UMass Amherst division of Sisters on the Runway will be hosting the 11th Annual Benefit Fashion Show. Due to COVID-19 health concerns, the 2021 show will be held as a Virtual Fashion Week. Fashion Directors and Event Coordinators have been working hard communicating with brands to secure donations of inventory to be sold via instagram for a virtual show. All proceeds from the event will be donated to Safe Passage, a non-profit organization in Northampton that provides resources for victims and survivors of domestic abuse.

Items will be sold exclusively through the SOTR instagram (@umass_sotr). Clothing from top brands such as FashionNova, Mistress Rox, DollsSkill, and more will be sold for a fraction of the retail price. Customers can expect brand new, eye catching pieces in all styles and sizes. In addition to clothing, customers will have the option to purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win Red Sox tickets, Patriots merchandise, gift certificates to small businesses in the Amherst area and more.

For those who are not familiar with the organization, Sisters on the Runway is a division of a National non-profit on the UMass Campus that seeks to spread awareness about domestic violence and support victims and survivors of domestic abuse. The funds that the annual show raises are donated to Safe Passage, where they are used to provide victims with the resources they need to escape an unsafe relationship. This includes providing access to legal services, counseling, support groups, and emergency shelter. With the help of Sisters On The Runway, Safe Passage is able to help survivors in a personalized way.

Many students at UMass have experienced or know someone who has experienced a violent relationship. According to the CDC, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience physical violence by their intimate partner at some point during their lifetimes. The money, awareness, and inspiration raised by this event provides a real means to change these odds.

For more information on the upcoming show, contact the Sisters on The Runway Executive Board sistersontherunwayfd@gmail.com or via instagram @ sotr_umass.

“Preventing Intimate Partner Violence |Violence Prevention|Injury Center|CDC.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 9 Oct. 2020, www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/fastfact.html.