Fashion show featuring formerly homeless men as models raises $8K for Winnipeg shelter

Dapper men who used to live on the streetsuited up for a fashion show last week thatorganizers now say helped raise thousands of dollars for Winnipeg's homeless.

The Runway to Changefashion show at the Fort Garry Hotel on Thursday raised $8,000for the Main Street Project, a 24-hour drop-in homeless shelter in Point Douglas.

• Formerly homeless men strut on catwalk to raise money for Winnipeg shelter

Five men who have stayed at the shelter were fitted with custom-made suits from Eph Apparel that they were allowed to keep after strutting their stuff on the catwalk.

A total of 115 pairs of underwear, 355 pairs of socks, 128 pairs of mittens, 350 toques, 134 scarves, 110 winter coats and 243 pounds of coffee were also gathered and donated to Main Street Project.

MarvinReid, one of the models at the event, told CBC News he participated as a way of giving back to the shelter, where he has spent time on and off over the past five years. He now has his own room at Main Stay, the shelter's transitional housing program.

Red River College creative communications studentsMadelaineLapointeand AshleyTokarukorganized the event.