Tanya Rivera is no stranger to the spotlight.
A 16-year veteran news anchor for WFMY News 2 in Greensboro, Rivera has been front and center on the station’s newscast.
In 2016, Rivera agreed to emcee the annual “Hope in Style” event sharing the spotlight with Baptist Children’s Homes’ (BCH) boys and girls who walk the runway to model new back-to-school outfits.
Spending time with the children, who live at BCH’s Mills Home in Thomasville, during the event made an impact on Rivera. The news anchor agreed to return and emcee this year’s “Hope in Style” held at the Greensboro Country Club on August 25, 2018.
“There are a lot of events you go to, have a nice time and then leave, but this one stays with you all year long,” Rivera explains. “It’s a life-changing event.”
The event, in its seventh year, leaves an impression on both the audience as well as its participants. Rivera is responsible for introducing each child as he or she takes the stage. She describes in detail the outfits provided by Belk in Greensboro. The boys and girls choose their clothes during an outing to the store prior to the event. Many children arrive at Mills Home with only the clothes they are wearing and have never shopped for new outfits.
“I like seeing how the children gain confidence from the time we first practice to the time we go on stage,” Rivera says.
Rivera also shares with the audience the goals and dreams the children have planned for themselves.
“Not only do they get a new outfit, but they get to hear positive things about themselves while on that stage,” she continues. “It’s a big deal because it’s all about their plans and dreams.”
During the event, current BCH child-in-care Ciara and former resident Paulina courageously share their personal stories from the stage. Both young ladies describe how their lives have changed for the better.
“The more you hear the stories of the Children’s Homes and what they do, the more you see how they model what families are and how it is to be loved and protected,” Rivera explains. “Hearing them talk about what the Home did for them and how it changed the trajectory of their lives in such a good way, how could you not want to hear more about that?”
The proceeds from “Hope in Style” make it possible for children, who have come from traumatic circumstances, to have a safe, caring home at BCH. Through sponsorships, including lead sponsorships from Belk and Vanguard Ministries, as well as proceeds raised from the event’s silent auction and other fund-raising initiatives, “Hope in Style 2018” raised nearly $87,000.
“We are very pleased with our results, and give God the honor and glory for ‘Hope in Style’s’ success,” says BCH’s Karen Slate who coordinates the annual event with the help of a committee co-chaired by volunteers Kim Lesage and Diane Huskey. “My prayer is that we will cultivate relationships with many who attend and that they will become major friends to BCH and our children.”
For more information on Hope in Style, go to www.hopeinstyle.org