Caterina Scorsone, John C. McGinley, Broncos Players & More Join GLOBAL To Honor Ambassadors Archie & Sevy Eicher

DENVER, May 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Global Down Syndrome Foundation (GLOBAL) announced its Ambassadors and its initial celebrity lineup for the virtual Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show set for Saturday, November 13. The marquee event is the largest fundraiser for Down syndrome in the world, raising over $22 million to date for life-saving and transformative research and medical care. Models with Down syndrome, Hollywood celebrities, renowned athletes, and philanthropists from all over the world will join GLOBAL to be inspired and to raise funds for people with Down syndrome.

During the fashion show, 27 brilliant and beautiful models with Down syndrome will rock the runway. The event will honor GLOBAL Ambassadors Archie & Sevy Eicher. Archie and Sevy were born in Bulgaria and were adopted by loving parents Lisa and Joey. Archie is an active 17-year-old high school student and a famous model who was recently featured in Gap's "Nxt Gen" and "Generation Good" campaigns. Sevy is twelve and an incredibly accomplished artist. Her paintings have a very long waiting list and her studio, Sandal Gap Studio has become a destination for artists with disabilities. Archie and Sevy are surrounded by a very loving family, including siblings Ace and Radko.

"We are so proud that Archie and Sevy are GLOBAL Ambassadors and that our family can support the amazing work of Global Down Syndrome Foundation," says Lisa Eicher. "They still talk about being models in 2019 and what it was like to walk down that runway. And even virtually, this event is truly magical."  

The fashion show will also feature 2021 Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award recipient Bryan Russell Mujica. Bryan made history in 2019 when declaring his candidacy for the Peruvian Congress. When he entered the race, he became the first person with Down syndrome in the world to run for public office. Bryan's political endeavors are reflected in an upcoming documentary, "El Candidato (The Candidate)," which follows his journey on the campaign trail.

Confirmed celebrities for GLOBAL's Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show include: award-winning actors John C. McGinley, Caterina Scorsone and Eric Dane; award-winning reporters and TV anchors Kyra Phillips, John Roberts and Kim Christiansen; supermodel Amanda Booth; and professional sports stars Brandon McManus, Justin Simmons and Harrison Phillips. A full roster of celebrities will be announced in the coming weeks.

The fashion show will take place virtually this year. "People with Down syndrome are high risk for COVID-19, so we decided to err on the side of caution and hold the fashion show virtually this year," says Michelle Sie Whitten, GLOBAL President and CEO. "We promise it will still be fast-paced, beautiful, inspiring, and informative. We lost many people to COVID last year so we deeply appreciate everyone's continued understanding and support as we turn this corner together."

Despite the pandemic, GLOBAL has delivered on many important initiatives:

• COVID-19 GLOBAL Emergency Relief Grants were provided to over 200 individuals with Down syndrome and their families
• GLOBAL provided over 30,000 pieces of PPE to those with intellectual disabilities living in group and host homes
• The first GLOBAL Medical Care Guidelines for Adults with Down Syndrome were published in JAMA (Journal of American Medical Association)
• GLOBAL joined other nationals to publish the COVID-19 & Down Syndrome Resource
• GLOBAL Affiliate, Crnic Institute, and partners received the NIH award to organize the first national coordinating center for Down syndrome research.
• GLOBAL's investment in the Leukine® trial in patients with Alzheimer's disease has advanced to the next phase with positive results.

Proceeds from the Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show support the important work of GLOBAL and GLOBAL's affiliates, including a team of over 200 scientists working on breakthrough life-saving research at the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome and a dream team of medical professionals providing excellent medical care to over 2,000 patients from 28 states and 10 countries at the Anna and John J. Sie Center at Children's Hospital Colorado.

To learn more, visit: www.bebeautifulbeyourself.org
To buy tickets, visit: https://bebeautifulbeyourself.org/2021-beautiful-fashion-show-tickets/

About Global Down Syndrome Foundation
The Global Down Syndrome Foundation (GLOBAL) is the largest non-profit in the U.S. working to save lives and dramatically improve health outcomes for people with Down syndrome. GLOBAL has donated more than $32 million to establish the first Down syndrome research institute supporting over 400 scientists and over 2,000 patients with Down syndrome from 28 states and 10 countries. Working closely with Congress and the National Institutes of Health, GLOBAL is the lead advocacy organization in the U.S. for Down syndrome research and medical care. GLOBAL has a membership of over 150 Down syndrome organizations worldwide, and is part of a network of Affiliates – the Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, the Sie Center for Down Syndrome, and the University of Colorado Alzheimer's and Cognition Center – all on the Anschutz Medical Campus.

GLOBAL's widely-circulated medical publications include GLOBAL Medical Care Guidelines for Adults with Down Syndrome, Prenatal Testing and Information about Down Syndrome, and the award-winning Down Syndrome World™ magazine. GLOBAL also organizes the Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show, the largest Down syndrome fundraiser in the world. Visit globaldownsyndrome.org and follow us on social media (Facebook & Twitter: @GDSFoundation, Instagram: @globaldownsyndrome).

Press Contact:
Anca Call
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c: (720) 320-3832

SOURCE Global Down Syndrome Foundation

Related Links

www.globaldownsyndrome.org