THE YEAR WAS 1958,

Dwight D. Eisenhower was president, "Goodie" Knight was Governor of California, and I-5 was just completed through Orange County. That same year, Servite High School in Fullerton welcomed its first class of young men, and their moms set about raising funds to help support their son's college-prep education. The ladies organized a fashion show and tea at Bullock's Wilshire, wore white gloves and hats, and started a tradition that has continued these past 66 years.

Like Orange County, the annual fashion show held at the Anaheim Hilton has grown a lot. Under the leadership of co-chairwomen Liza Gonzales-Munzer and Chrissy Rogers, the efforts of 100 volunteers were coordinated to raise more than $320,000 for the school's support.

"It takes a long time to put this event together," said Rogers. "We started in March to line up our great sponsors and local businesses to support us."

This year's event which was held on Nov. 3 was not limited to a fashion show; it offered a boutique where 'hunter-gatherer' moms could sip bubbly and shop for everything from clothing and designer accessories to jewelry, cosmetics and gifts. The items were offered by 21 small, local companies and women-owned businesses who donated a percentage of sales to the school.

In addition to the boutique, guests could peruse and bid on more than 250 gift baskets and "Bubbles and Baubles" raffle items offering wine, dinners, children's items, sports equipment and more. The live auction featured opportunities for priceless experiences: a private chef dinner and wine pairing experience for 10; a Hawaiian or Dominican Republic vacation; VIP sports and concert tickets; a ride in an LAPD helicopter for two; and an adorable 12-week Cavapoo puppy.

Despite all this fun, the real highlight of the afternoon was the fashion show featuring Servite students, their moms and a few Rosary women who volunteered to be models. Fashions were provided by Macy's Fashion Island, Friar Tux, BYLT Premium Basics, while makeup artists from Estee Lauder made sure everyone was runway ready. James Campbell Productions directed the show and choreography, with audio-visuals from McNally Enterprises.

The event would not have been possible without the support of the 47 major sponsors and underwriters, including Platinum Sponsors William and Karen Jakobi, Servite Platinum Partner in Education, C&L Refrigeration, and Gold Sponsors Shawn and Michelle Sullivan and Capital Group Travel/Cathie Lentz Fryer. More than 375 donors contributed time and in-kind donations to support the auction and raffle.

Servite is also celebrating another significant achievement, having been named, for the second year in a row, as the "Number One Catholic High School in Orange County."

While the event has changed from the tea and white-gloved affair of the '50s, what hasn't changed is the strong involvement of families in the formation of faith-filled young men. Servite High School prides itself on forming faith-filled leaders.

From the beginning, Servite has emphasized developing faith-filled leaders prepared for success in college and life. Servite teaches young men to seek excellence in academics, athletics, the arts and Catholic spirituality. Servite men become leaders in business, medicine, law, non-profits, military and civic service, and the Church. (www.servitehs.org)

It’s also worth noting that these young men and their moms are pretty snappy dressers, too.