Fund-raising Fashonista

Too often, we’re tempted to roll our eyes at the attitude and antics of teen-agers. So meeting 18-year-old Jenelle Krumlauf is as refreshing as a Lake Erie breeze.

Newly graduated from Reynoldsburg High School, Krumlauf’s main focus is helping others. While most of her classmates were in the throes of preparing for prom and graduation, Krumlauf was immersed in planning her third-annual Nellie’s Catwalk for Kids fashion show fund-raiser, which will be held at the Hilton at Easton in Columbus on July 31. More than 100 pint-sized models — all children who are battling cancer or have a loved one who is — will strut their stuff on the runway, sporting hairdos and clothing paid for by event sponsors.

Krumlauf launched the idea of a fashion show to benefit children with cancer when she was just a kid herself — not even old enough to drive. She was inspired by her grandmother, Goldie Sheridan, who died of cancer when Krumlauf was 8. (“Nellie” was Sheridan’s nickname for her granddaughter.)

Krumlauf raised more than $3,000 that first year, donating it all to the Oncology Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Last year, proceeds totaled more than $14,000.

“When she first approached me about hosting this event, I thought she was just some silly kid who wanted to have a fashion show,” recalls Hilton Columbus sales director Tim Woodhall. “But the moment I met her, she had our entire team on board. She has this amazing power to inspire people and bring them together to do remarkable things. How many teens can raise $14,000 for charity in one night?”

This year, Krumlauf hopes to raise more than $20,000 to benefit Ohio’s

pediatric cancer patients. After that, she’s headed to Ohio Dominican University, where she plans on continuing her unique passion for philanthropy. Krumlauf holds a 4.0 grade point average, despite being involved in a variety of activities, including her reign as Reynoldsburg’s Tomato Queen.

When asked how she came up with the idea for a fund-raiser, the humble Krumlauf smiled sheepishly.

“I’m not good at sports and I don’t really have any particular talent, so I thought I’d just help people,” she says.

For more information about the event, call 614/546-8151 or visit www.catwalk4kids.com.