Milpitas Women Honored at Fashion Show Benefit

Great Mall's month-long Celebration of Women starts in October and wraps up with a fashion show to benefit three local organizations.

At $20 per person, the Milpitas Alliance for the Arts, Milpitas Historical Society and the Junior League of San Jose will receive 100 percent of sales from the tickets.

Set for Oct. 27, the VIP cocktail reception for Role Models starts at at 6 p.m. followed by the runway event inside the mall. Includes food, raffles and free gifts. Host is Miss California, Noelle Freedman.

At the heart of the event are four women honorees, three from Milpitas, selected by the participating organizations—Milpitas City Councilwomen Althea Polanski and Debbie Giordano, Julie Cherry of the Milpitas Alliance for the Arts, and Hilda Pintor of the Junior League of San Jose.

Vice President Harriett McGuire said the nonprofit was unable to choose between Polanski and Giordano on the City Council.

Althea Polanski has served on the Milpitas City Council since 2002 for four terms. Prior to that, she volunteered on the school board for the Milpitas Unified School District for nearly 20 years, with eight years as president. A founding member of the Milpitas Historical Society, she has volunteered in various capacities while living in Milpitas for the past 35 years. She works as the senior executive administrative assistant to the superintendent and governing board of Metropolitan Education District (MetroED) in San Jose.

Debbie Giordano has served on the Milpitas City Council since 2004 for three terms. Prior to that, she spent seven years on the city's planning commission and three years on the community advisory commission. She grew up in Milpitas, attended Milpitas public schools and now sells homes through her real estate agency, Master Brokers. 

Julie Cherry helped found the Milpitas Alliance for the Arts in 1998, a nonprofit helping the arts flourish through programs such as Art in Your Park and the . As a vice president for the Alliance, she also serves on the city's public art committee. In addition, she volunteers for the Milpitas Kiwanis Club, helping with the for children of families with limited resources. Cherry, director of clinical services for Intel/GE Care Innovations, is working on the first home "telehealth" solution for remote patient monitoring.

Tickets can be purchased by contacting the Milpitas Alliance for the Arts by email or 408-942-6960, or Milpitas Historical Society by email or phone 408-320-9587.

Other events during the Great Mall's Celebration of Women:

Saturday: Breast cancer survivor celebration honoring , executive director of HERS Breast Cancer Foundation in Fremont. Hosted by Lissa Kreisler, morning host of KBAY 94.5 FM. 2 p.m.

Oct. 6 and 20: About 15 fashion retailers will host in-store events called Style Shops. In addition, drop by Entrance 2 for one-on-ones with fashion consultants and a chance to spin the wheel for prizes. Free. Evenings 5-9 p.m.

October 11: Red Hat Society members receive a Sweet Shop Stop in the afternoon, plus a cosmetic bag and day-long discounts. Throughout the month, guest services will provide a free coupon packet for Red Hat Society members who present their membership cards.

For more information, visit greatmallbayarea.com or call 408-956-2033.