A GLAMOROUS mix of fashion, music and sport came together last night to raise thousands of pounds for North East charities.
Sports stars from Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons shared the catwalk with professional models before X Factor winner Alexandra Burke entertained a crowd of around 600.
The Fashion Match at Kingston Park in Newcastle raised £75,000 in advance ticket sales alone, with proceeds donated to support vital projects in the region.
Local causes backed by Marie Curie Cancer Care, Chefs Adopt a School, Children North East and the Newcastle United Foundation will all benefit from the glitzy evening superbly supported by the world of North East sport.
United defender Steven Taylor said the players were thrilled to support the event. He said: “When Shay Given was here we were involved in quite a few nights like this.
“It takes us out of our comfort zone a bit. It can be a bit nerve-wracking for us to go on the catwalk. There were some really good auction prizes and the set-up was great. Hopefully a lot of money has been raised for the causes.”
Taylor was joined on the catwalk by teammates Shola Ameobi and Dan Gosling as well as members of the Encore dance and entertainment group.
Falcons stars including Jordi Pasqualin, who has experience of the catwalk, Will Chudley, and Ryan Shortland joined the footballers in showing off the latest trends by Cruise.
Stewart McCullough, the spokesman for Newcastle Falcons, said: “It’s great to have an event like this at Newcastle Falcons and we’re proud to be associated with the charities.”
Ian Watson, of Marie Curie Cancer Care said: “We called on the business community of Newcastle to come behind us and we were amazed to find that in such difficult economic times we sold £75,000 worth of tickets within four weeks.
“It’s great to bring the two sports together to support the charities. One of the significant things about the Marie Curie hospice in Newcastle is that it came into being thanks to the help of local people and it continues to be supported by the local community through volunteering and fund raising.”
Auction lots included a hospitality trip to next year’s Monaco Grand Prix, a visit to the Paris Fashion Week and a table for eight at The Ritz Hotel in London.
Simon King, one half of television duo The Hairy Bikers, and Terry Laybourne were among the chefs who cooked a lavish meal for the guests.
