Friends of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt held its annual fundraising event, Friends & Fashion, on Feb. 23, at The Pinnacle in downtown Nashville.
Led by 2026 co-chairs Shelton Kitchen, Meredith Stewart and Heather Traylor, Friends & Fashion was a celebration of healing, hope and style.
The show featured fashions by Dillard’s at the Mall at Green Hills, featuring Mestiza New York, and the hospital’s own store, The Friends Shop.
Proceeds from this year’s event will support Friends programming as well as enhancements to the Junior League Family Resource Center at Monroe Carell, helping ensure families have access to comfort, connection and critical support throughout a child’s care journey.
The fashion show featured community champions, Nashvillians who generously share their time and talents to support the patients and families of Monroe Carell, walking the runway alongside grateful patient families.
The event also featured the presentation of the second annual Friends Volunteer Icon Award sponsored by Diamond Cellar to longtime volunteer and steadfast advocate Kathy Rolfe, whose involvement with Friends has spanned four decades.
Zander Insurance returned as the event’s presenting sponsor.
“Zander has been serving families for four generations and nearly 100 years,” said Jeffrey Zander, CEO of Zander. “We have seen the growth and importance of Monroe Carell in our community and are proud to help support this important resource for children and their families.” The Friends organization’s mission is to support the hospital through fundraising, outreach and patient support.
