Dedicated Magazine Brings Local Advocates Together
We are pleased to be an official media partner of Dedicated Magazine’s #Momentum movement celebrated during their February issue. The issue was released on February 9th and our team was thrilled to be there and to be a part of it.
It began after local fashion designer and Dedicated Magazine’s owner/senior editor Cheryl Zemke watched the red carpet during the Golden Globe Awards. Anxiously, she waited for the traditional question to each person in attendance, “Who are you wearing?” However this year, it was different. The question, to all wearing black, was, “What or who are you advocating for?” It took a while to adjust considering we are used to celebrating designers and what the celebrities are wearing.
After viewing the red carpet, Zemke took a step back to look at the big picture. Even she felt empowered and knew she wanted to be a part of the “Why We Wear Black” movement.
Momentum was instantly thought of when she and a girlfriend discussed the idea. Momentum, an advocacy and positive community awareness campaign quickly came to fruition within two weeks when the now group of 5 (#Momentum Power Pack) secured a venue, photographers, videographers a logo and several key community members to make it all happen. The advocacy participants were incredibly diverse and represented a wide range of topics including: the arts, substance abuse, gender and racial quality, anti-bullying, domestic violence, education, STEAM, health and human services, animal rights, elder care and community services.
Included in the group were local business leaders, influencers, small business owners, beauty queens, fashion designers, photographers, models and supportive community members with a voice.
“We spent time planning and gathering data from participants over two weeks. Issue #7 of Dedicated Magazine is just the start. We plan to continue the positive energy and messaging with a coordinated campaign released throughout the next year in Dedicated Magazine,” said Laurie DeJack, member of #Momentum Power Pack.
May Russell, an Information Technology executive at Ford Motor Company and the Michigan Council of Women in Technology (MCWT) Chief Mission Officer for Kindergarten-8th grade programs attended to promote exciting passion for technology in young women and girls and the mission of MCWT www.mcwt.org to make Michigan the Number 1 State for Women in Technology.
Deborah Lines, National American Beauties Plus Classic Woman, www.americanbeautiespageants.com represented plus sized women and women over age 50. She cherishes every opportunity to share the Seatbelt safety message “Get Buckled, Save Lives!”
Sherlyn Fox, Royalty International Ms. Michigan Women 2018 is an automotive professional, beauty entrepreneur, and Secretary for the Fashion Group International – Detroit Chapter. Sherlyn is an advocate against sexual/domestic abuse and for asthma awareness. She has produced and hosted many charitable events, raising funds and awareness for community foundations such Common Ground, HAVEN, RAINN www.rainn.org www.commongroundhelps.org www.haven-oakland.org.
Jeff Vega, Vega Studios and Michigan Film Society, is focused on making a difference in the Michigan Film Industry.
Shannon Lazovski, the CEO of The Lazov Agency and founder/senior editor of Detroit Fashion News and Glamorous Moms supports fighting domestic violence and encourages women to help women as the chair of the Grace Centers of Hope Women Helping Women Fashion Show and Luncheon and the represents the Night of Hope event supporting Grace’s children.
Kim Simpson, Academy of Creative Artistic Productions, LLC, Emily Knowles, Your Entourage Agency, and Vicki Howard, TaDah! Productions, represented creating positive role models, the local production and modeling industry, and other community organizations with missions such as recycle/upcycle fashions, mentoring, elder honor, recognition and care, and therapy dogs.
Executive Director Erin Suess, of the Downriver Council for the Arts was also a member of the #Momentum Power Pack who donated her time along with everyone else on the team to help coordinate the large crowd, get the need photo shots for the magazine, and assisting with some of the graphic design.
One of the wonderful discoveries on this journey, which the entire team saw and felt, was how advocacy was a family affair. Parents came with their children, siblings came together, all to share and promote the community. In total, there were over 70 people taking part in the #Momentum photoshoot. “Advocacy spanned not just two but three generations.”
Dr. Mary Anne Homann, an advocate for Equality and Service to others. Noted “The focus and frame for my activities changed as my capacity to address social problems developed over time.” As a teen in Scotland after WWII she began her career in service to others with UNICEF raising funds for European families facing the devastation of the war and famine. As a young mother she instilled a desire to serve and to seek opportunities to share passions and support others in her daughter Laurie DeJack, a member of the #Momentum Power Pack. Laurie is an IT manager at Ford, a member of the MCWT www.mcwt.org supporting Camp Infinity, a summer STEAM focused camp for young women 5th – 8th grade. As a fashion production manager, musician and lover of the arts she lends her time and talents to many causes. She is an equestrian and CANTER volunteer. The tradition of advocacy is carried on by her two daughters, Meghan Hescheles, who has supported Focus: Hope www.focushope.edu since she was in 9th grade and is a Senior Trainer and ski patrol volunteer, and Kearra DeJack, who serves on her school executive council, is an ambassador for My Dreams do Come True, and volunteers with CANTER www.canterusa.org/Mi rehabbing, re-training, and re-homing thoroughbred ex-racehorses.
Christine and Aleison Kowalski, represented the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society www.lls.org/mi an organization that provided them with much needed support when Aleison was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at the age of 5. Aleison has been cancer free for 10 years and they openly share their story with others. The Kowalski family team continues to give back by raising awareness about childhood cancer and the need for research, raising funds for LLS and providing much needed support to other families of children with cancer.
Another mother daughter duo, Stacy and Abigail Moore, advocate good decision-making. They represented MADD and SADD at the event. Abigail, a student council member, started a SADD chapter at her high school during her Freshman year www.sadd.org after her Grandmother was critically injured by a drunk driver forever changing their lives. Together their goal is to raise awareness about the consequences of destructive decisions and to prevent this from happening to someone else.
Tyler Pardo and his mother, Kim Pardo, another #Momentum Power Pack member, are advocates for small business and families. Kim is an IT Manager at Ford and a member of the MCWT. Always interested in the political process, at the age of 16 Tyler started a Political Action Committee (PAC) to fund legislation and community leaders’ campaigns that strive to improve economic quality and family values. www.friends4families.org .
The Chapp family, Melissa (Mom) is a member of the #Momentum Power Pack, a dance teacher, and dance studio owner, shares the same devotion to service. Melissa is an advocate for the Arts and the positive impact on children. Her daughter, Jillian is a dancer and Feed the Children advocate www.feedthechildren.org and daughter, Jerilyn, also a dancer, is an advocate against animal abuse and uses her voice to provide one for animals.
This is just the first sample of positive messages in our community. Our #TeamDFN’s Shannon Lazovski, Kelechi Uchendu, and LaTasha Channel Spivey were honored to be a part of such a special day. By using our unified voice, together we hope to make a difference in Detroit and the rest of the world.
Stay tuned as we look forward to even more positive community news from Dedicated Magazine, the #Momentum Power Pack and Detroit Fashion News. Watch for videos and photos on Instagram and Twitter @DetFashionNews @DedicatedMag and on Facebook. Click here to purchase Dedicated Magazine’s February Issue.
Photos – Dedicated Magazine