Forget Me Not NOLA, a non-profit organization founded in 2009 by two University students and five of their friends, raised about $300,000 for a charity in Africa.
Adele Humphreys, a junior majoring in advertising and Kaler Zetzmann, a freshman majoring in fashion retail, hosted the High Heels for High Hopes Fashion Show at the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans on May 22. More than 650 people attended, a UA news release stated. The money raised went to Sentebale, a non-profit organization that benefits orphans in Lesotho, Africa.
“We went to a fundraiser for Sentebale in New York last June,” Humphreys said. “We were so inspired by the photographs of the orphans and by [the founders, Prince Seeiso from the Lesotho Royal family and Prince Harry from the British Royal family], who both lost their mothers.”
Following the Sentebale fundraiser, Zetzmann and Humphreys, both New Orleans natives, said they decided to start an organization of their own.
“After [Hurricane] Katrina, people gave to us [when] we lost our homes,” Zetzmann said. “So we wanted to give back to these children who are displaced like we were.”
Forget Me Not NOLA was founded with the goal of hosting a different charity event each year, Zetzmann said.
Through contacts at Saks Fifth Avenue, Zetzmann and Humphreys developed a presentation and media packet for the manager of Saks in New Orleans. After seeing the presentation, Zetzmann said, Saks loaned clothes for the fashion show the duo planned to host.
In conjunction with Papo D’Anjo, a European clothing company, more than $1 million in clothing and accessories for 50 models was donated to the organization, according to the news release.
Forget Me Not NOLA also partnered with Veuve Clicquot, a champagne company, as well as other businesses, bakers, artists and jewelers. The sponsors donated items for the silent auction that followed the fashion show and dinner, Humphreys said.
“We wrote a letter to the CEO [of Veuve Clicquot],” Zetsmann said. “He called us and said he was so impressed that they helped us throughout the whole thing.
“Most of the time the people were more than happy to donate,” she said. “They were so impressed by how young we were and would give anything they could.”
Humphreys said that overall, the idea was to show New Orleans residents’ appreciation for the help they’ve received.
“So many different cities and places gave to New Orleans after Katrina,” she said. “So we wanted to give to another place … on behalf of New Orleans.
“We know how it feels to be displaced and lonely,” she said. “We wanted to help these children because we know how they feel.”
