The De Soto High School LITE team and prom committee recently offered a fundraising opportunity that they could participate in: The Natalie M. Prom Fashion Show.

By selling 20 tickets each, students could pick out a prom dress from Natalie M., a special events boutique located in Overland Park, and strut their stuff down the runway. The event took place at the Overland Park Convention Center.

The fashion show not only brought students from across the Kansas City Metro Area together, but it also allowed students to give back to DHS. Student models were allowed to donate some of their raised funds for any organization from their school. Staying true to what Natalie Nearenberg, the owner of Natalie M., set out to do seven years ago with the first fashion show.

This year, the fashion show raised $67,000 dollars with the involvement of over 600 models across the community. The students at DHS were represented by 16 students and total, they raised $2,179.

“I love doing the fashion show. I’ve done it every year since I was a freshman and I’m going to do it next year,” junior Olivia Cline said.

This year, Cline not only enjoyed walking down the runway but she went above and beyond with her sales by selling 103 tickets to her family, friends, teachers and community.

“Every year they have given out a scholarship [or award] to the girl that sells the most tickets. I really wanted to win this year so that was a big motivation for me,” Cline said.

In return, Cline received a $500 prom dress of her choice from the Natalie M. boutique as well as a $100 savings bond.

Although Cline sold five times more than the required limit, every penny counted and even the students who didn’t sell the necessary tickets gave back 90 percent of the sales they did make to DHS’s prom fund. With the remaining 10 percent, students could choose any organization of their choice.

The fundraiser raised a significant amount of money and DHS plans on participating again next year.