Mission Moment: Project Rollway — A Turn in the Spotlight

Models at New York Fashion Week never had this much fun, and surely their audiences never got this misty-eyed. Shepherd Center’s annual adolescent fashion show, Project Rollway — a play on the long-running “Project Runway” design competition — has none of the pseudo-drama of the TV version. Any drama at Project Rollway comes from the authentic courage and determination of the more than two dozen participants.

Shepherd’s version, first held in 2014, really isn’t about the fashion, says organizer Ashley Kim, MPT, ATC. It’s about giving current and former adolescent patients an opportunity to get together, do something outside their comfort zone, and have a few minutes in the spotlight. No matter how nervous they feel beforehand, once the young models burst through the curtain and hear the cheers, they are beaming with self-confidence — something that can be hard to come by for teenagers, even without the trauma of an injury or illness. 

An hour before the 2024 show, professional makeup artists applied just the right blush and eye shadow to each model, and hairstylists masterfully wielded brushes and spray. Local fashion houses and national clothing lines furnished the outfits, the models chose their looks, and they got to keep the donated clothes. As models primped to an upbeat playlist, a line from John Lennon’s “Imagine” rose above the chatter. “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. . . .” 

Volunteer hairstylists Morgan Hughes and Kaitlyn Radler struggled to fulfill 6-foot-6-inch Jace Raymer’s request for a blue mohawk. Despite repeated applications of mousse and spray, Jace’s soft brown curls refused to stand up. Every time the carefully sculpted ridge of hair collapsed, Morgan and Kaitlyn burst into laughter, then shrugged and tried again. But by the time Jace, 17, took his turn down the runway, there was no sign of either blue hair or a mohawk. Jace, an inpatient who was injured in a car crash in his hometown of Cleveland, Tennessee, says he decided, “It didn’t go with my outfit.

Shepherd staff and supporters transformed Shepherd's Livingston Gym into a Manhattan fashion venue for the occasion. Shiny copper and glittery gold streamers cascaded from the doorways and walls in the hallway and art therapy room, where guests at a preshow reception sipped wine and nibbled canapés. The elegant fringe was made from strips of cheap vinyl tablecloths cut and tied by Shepherd patients and staff, says Kelly Singleton, EP, who with Deb Eldred, SLP, has led the decorating effort for the past seven years. Using scissors and tying knots helps patients develop dexterity. “If we can make a decoration therapeutic, we try to, so that patients can be a part of the show,” Kelly says. 

An arch of almost 100 balloons made a festive entryway to the gym. In keeping with organizers' goal to make 2024 “feel groovy,” Kelly says, cutouts of Volkswagen buses, painted by patients and staff, hung on a wall, with photos of models’ faces looking out the windows.

Inside the gym, a long black platform — the rollway — jutted into the crowd. Huge screens displayed collages of the models as they rolled or strolled down the runway.

Each model took two or more turns in front of the crowd as counselor-turned-emcee Cheryl Linden, LPC, described their interests and aspirations. Several models had found new career goals in healthcare and rehabilitation at Shepherd. 

In the background, former Shepherd patient and regular Project Rollway disc jockey Jules Kilpatrick provided musical accompaniment with a strong percussive vibe. Jules himself was an adolescent patient at Shepherd after being thrown from a car in a crash in 2008. Cheers and applause from the audience intensified the energy of the music, which increased in volume when Cheryl was not talking. Without Shepherd, Jules says, he could not be making a living with music. 

“I love Project Rollway,” Jules says. “It’s just great for young patients who have been going through such a hard time to go out on that stage and be celebrated.” 

Dominique Ross, 17, a Shepherd alum from Knoxville, Tennessee, was both a designer and model in the 2024 show. A former Shepherd patient, she was shot 13 times in June 2023 in a case of mistaken identity. Her stepfather was killed in the incident. 

Dominique, who rolled down the runway in a neon green party dress, also designed and sewed the bright red, ankle-length jumpsuit worn by emcee Cheryl. Dominique was “a bundle of nerves” before the show, she says, but by the time she was in front of the crowd, “I was just really excited.” 

Her interest in fashion design began as a child, making clothes for toy bears. Once at Shepherd, Dominique talked about how much she missed sewing and how difficult it would be to operate a sewing machine foot pedal while in a wheelchair. 

Soon, her team presented her with a machine that she could work, courtesy of Andee’s Army, a foundation that seeks to fill gaps in care for children with brain and spinal cord injuries. The foundation honors Andee Poulos, who was treated at Shepherd at 14 after a tangle of blood vessels burst in her brain. Andee’s Army supports Project Rollway and other special Shepherd programs for adolescents. 

After recognizing Andee’s Army officials and other donors and calling Shepherd employees onto the runway to take bows for their efforts, Cheryl spoke to the parents in the audience about the people who made the evening possible. “This show doesn’t go on because it has to,” she says. “It goes on because they love your kids.” 

Dominique, for one, feels the love. “I am so grateful that there is a place where people are so kind and diligent and where they love what they do,” she says. “I think that’s something really special.”

Written by Gayle White

This story is an excerpt from “Mission Moments: 50 Years of Rebuilding Lives One Moment at a Time,” a book celebrating Shepherd’s 50th anniversary in 2025. You can explore the full eBook or purchase a hardcover copy here.