Partners for World Health’s fifth walk down the Blue Wrap Project Runway was, by far, its biggest and most successful fundraiser.

The May 19 fashion show at Merrill Auditorium featured 38 designers, 43 models and seven performing acts, from Burundi drum ensemble Batimbo United to London-based opera singer Maeve Hoglund. With 1,000 tickets sold and hundreds of corporate sponsors and host committee members, the event grossed $290,000 for Partners for World Health, which ships donated surplus medical supplies to areas in need around the globe.

Every model and performer wore Blue Wrap, a polypropylene material used in U.S. hospitals to sterilize equipment – and that is usually thrown in the trash after use.

“The quality of these dresses is high,” said Chief Operating Officer Julie Forsyth Nelson. “If you didn’t know that there were made of recycled materials, you’d think they could be on any runway show.”

“It’s amazing what they can make with the stuff we wrap our surgical equipment in,” said Vince Oliviero, a recently retired orthopedic surgeon.

Oliviero recalled when he first saw a nurse, Elizabeth McLellan, with a wheelchair loaded up with surplus medical supplies. Not long after, in 2009, McLellan founded the nonprofit Partners for World Health and established the organization’s signature fundraiser, the Blue Wrap Runway, in 2011.

This year’s models included designers and artists, doctors and nurses, and even University of New England President James Herbert in a Blue Wrap cap and gown.

“Hours upon hours have been put into these creations,” said emcee Tory Ryden, wearing a Marie Antoinette-inspired gown designed by Cheslye Ventimiglia of Portland. “It’s all for an organization that protects our environment, helps Mainers in need and does humanitarian work across the globe.”

Nearly 200 host committee members were invited to a pre-show cocktail party at The Press Hotel, where many conversations were about what’s happening in Ukraine. In the seven weeks since the Russian invasion began, Partners for World Health had shipped 85,000 pounds of medical supplies worth an estimated $2 million.

“The organization was nimble enough to send a container just two weeks after the war in Ukraine started,” said Dustin Kaubris, an accountant and board member from Westbrook. “Maine has an impact globally, and shipping is where donors and partners come in.”

“I chose two charities to support Ukraine, and Partners for World Health is the local one,” said Maryellen Coles of Cape Elizabeth, adding that she also supports World Central Kitchen.

“We are so pleased to be able to support a local organization that we trust, serving Ukraine, especially with orthopedics and trauma supplies,” said Ann Elderkin, with her partner James Bucknam, of Cape Elizabeth. “We trust that Partners for World Health will be able to deliver.”

Amy Paradysz is a freelance writer and photographer based in Scarborough. She can be reached at amyparadysz@gmail.com.

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