MD 8th-Grader Heading To Colorado For Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, MD — Eighth-grader Grace Harrison will head to Denver, Colorado, this week to walk the runway at the Global Down Syndrome Foundation’s 16th annual Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show Saturday.

The Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show is the largest Down syndrome fundraiser in the world, with proceeds supporting Global’s life-saving research and medical care through its affiliates, including the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, the Colorado University Alzheimer’s and Cognition Center, and the Anna and John J. Sie Center for Down Syndrome.

The fundraiser will include appearances from celebrities like Jessica Biel, Woody Harrelson, Laura Linney, Caterina Scorsone and John C. McGinley.

At 14, Grace sits on her school’s honor roll — her favorite subject is math — and loves traveling and going to the beach. She has been described by her family as observant, funny, caring, adventurous and competitive.

“Grace loves dancing and singing, and she’s really into K-pop. She’s a huge fan of The Masked Singer—she can tell you who wore each costume, what songs they performed and who won each season,” her mom, Ivonia Harrison, told Patch. “Grace is also on a competitive cheer team, and earlier this year, her team was invited to The Summit National Cheer Competition at ESPN Disney World, where they won their division. It was an unforgettable experience for her.”

Grace’s dad, James, learned about the fashion show and thought it would be a “fantastic opportunity” for Grace and her family.

“We were really impressed by the work GLOBAL does—it’s the largest non-profit in the U.S. focused on saving lives and improving the health of people with Down syndrome, with the Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show being the largest single fundraiser for Down syndrome in the world. With all the amazing programs, research and support GLOBAL offers, we knew this was something special for Grace to be a part of,” Harrison said. “Grace is thrilled to be participating. She’s been practicing her moves and can’t wait to hit the runway. She’s looking forward to having a lot of fun and making new friends along the way.”

The fashion show regularly attracts more than 1,400 guests from around the world and 18 models with Down syndrome will take the runway with celebrity partners escorting them.