Fashion, fun and frogs at the Manitouwadge Golden Age Club

MANITOUWADGE -- ‘Threads, Your Community Closet’ and the Manitouwadge Golden Age club teamed up this weekend for a fashion extravaganza, serving up a luncheon and more than 40 outfits to raise funds for the club.

Ten models, ranging in age from 5 to 75, took to the runway, showing off the wide variety of clothing, shoes and accessories that can be found at the local thrift store. The two little girls modeled the children’s clothing, and showed off the knitted animals donated by Bitz and Bobz, a local gift shop. The two men were dressed in both casual wear and business attire, whilst the women showed their versatility of style in everything from cocktail dresses to pajamas to bush wear.

“It was part fashion, part comedy show,” says Gail Isaacs, proprietor of Threads, and the coordinator of the event. “The little girls stole the show! I asked them to wave their stuffed toys around, and they had a blast, waving the knitted pig and frog around at the audience. Everyone had a good laugh!”

Gail went on to say that the event was important to the community, as it marked the return of normalcy. She used to stage these shows once every year or two, but COVID put a stop to that. “You could feel it in the air; that feeling of finally being cautiously free again.” 

There was such a cavalcade of emotions from everyone involved with the show. There were tears and tension when things didn’t go quite right, and there was elation and joy when they did. The models enjoyed their roles as stars for the day, and the folks who watched from the audience got the chance to enjoy the freedom and camaraderie they were missing. Everyone had a chance to share the joy of the day. 

Gail put it this way: “The world teaches you how to cry, you have to learn how to laugh.” 

Gail and her team operate ‘Threads, Your Community Closet’ as a non-profit entity. All the money raised from the sale of the second-hand goods, generously donated by the townspeople, and cleaned and sorted by the volunteers, goes to assist the community in various ways. The Manitouwadge Museum and Historical Society was the main benefactor, but the drive has been so successful, Threads has been able to help the community in other ways, including presenting grocery store gift cards to needy families at Christmas and Easter, donating furniture and clothing to victims of house fires, and helping out families and individuals who have special requests for temporary aid. 

The clothing that was displayed at the fashion show was put on sale after the show, and, along with the ticket sale receipts, all the money raised went to the Golden Age Club for folks 50 years and up. It is a vital organization, helping to keep Manitouwadge’s older population active and healthy. The club hosts events such as music nights, weekly crib and pool tournaments, Wii bowling and other events. 

So, if you attended the show and were lucky enough to acquire one of the fashion pieces on display, wear it proudly, knowing that your purchases have helped to bring a little joy and laughter into the lives of the folks of Manitouwadge.