While fundraising for their fashion show in late October, the Kat Walk amassed over $250 with its Splash-A-Kat event on Wednesday.
For $1, community members had the chance to throw one water balloon at one of the Kat Walk models.
The Kat’s have been advertising their ‘Splash-a-Kat’ on social media and on campus for the Eastern and Charleston community.
Destinee Patterson, a senior English language arts teacher education major, is the president of the Kat Walk.
After being hit by over 55 water balloons, Patterson lost her voice. Nonetheless, her expectations for the event were exceeded.
“I was honestly pleasantly surprised, a lot of people came out, a lot more than I expected for a Wednesday,” she said.
The idea of pieing the models was pitched to her earlier in the semester, but she wanted to be different and instead chose to use water balloons to go hand-in-hand with the warm weather. She thought using water balloons would be a way for the organization to stand out from other organizations too.
While she was content with this event, she plans to aim higher for their next event.
Patterson said the addition of the new members as well as old members has been exciting.
“We have some returning, but we have a lot of new models, and they just give it their all every time they’re at practice,” Patterson said.
Myricle Mellon, an undecided freshman, is a member of the Kat Walk and also endured the force of water balloons.
Mellon joined the modeling group to try and find a group they could fit in with. Mellon said seeing the other girls modeling seemed fun and joined for that reason.
The models set up outside of the Doudna Fine Arts Center overhang from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. with their speakers and buckets of water balloons while advertising their fundraiser to those who walked by.
Prince Ester, a junior theatre major, is also a member of the Kat Walk and, like Mellon, withstood the pain of having water balloons thrown at him.
Joining the Kat Walk was a new experience for Ester. He wanted to find an outlet to make new friends and become more connected to the Eastern and Charleston community.
The Kat Walk has also benefited him in his personal life outside of modeling.
“It made me get out of my comfort zone and give me more confidence,” Ester said.
Patterson said she tries to create a family-type environment, and with it being early in the year, the models are starting to bond and get to know each other.
Their first fashion show of the semester, as well as the Kat Walk fashion show will take place on Eastern’s campus Oct. 26. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will travel to Eastern in partnership.
The title of the show is “Where Yin meets Yang” and Patterson explained that the message comes from being able to show duality through fashion.
“I’m excited for people to just see what Kat Walk is about,” Patterson said. “Understanding the fact that we are an agency and how big our agency is.”
With it being their first fashion show on Eastern’s campus, Patterson said she is excited to show people what the models have been working on.
Cam’ron Hardy can be reached at 581-2812 or at cahardy@eiu.edu.
