The Women of Williamsville hosts fashion show for Gow School

The Women of Williamsville, which was formed by eight business professionals, decided to support The Gow School by instituting an endowment.

To raise the funds, they will host "Fashion at the Glen III" from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 25 at The Glen Park Tavern, 5507 Main St., Williamsville.

Once established, the scholarship will be in honor of Jim Grenauer, owner of The Glen Park Tavern.

Grenauer, although he is an intelligent man, struggled through much of his life because he suffers from dyslexia, explained his daughter, Ellie, one of the co-founders of The Women of Williamsville.

"It's really awesome to start a scholarship in my dad's name," Ellie said. "It was difficult for him to face dyslexia. He has high intellect, but it's difficult for him to read."

Those with the disability have difficulty articulating what words on a page mean, Gayle Hutton, director of The Gow School, explained.

"They may be able to read, but they may have difficulty retaining it or understanding what's on the page," she said.

The Gow School is the nation's oldest boarding school for boys with dyslexia. It was established in 1926 and is located on Emery Road in South Wales, N.Y.

The students have a structured day, six days a week, beginning with morning chores, classes, afternoon athletics and study hall at night, Hutton explained.

Extracurricular activities include going to hockey games, the mall and the movie theater. The ratio of students to faculty is four to one, and most of the faculty live on campus with their families.

Classes are structured in nonphonemic approaches, where students learn the origin of words, learn the sounds and what they mean, Hutton said.

Five to 10 percent of children are born with dyslexia, whether they have difficulty with words or numbers. Most have above-average intelligence, but they struggle with learning in the traditional ways, Hutton explained.

Many children with the disorder face challenges in regular school systems, because they are often placed in special education classes, she said.

"It's hard, because schools think they are addressing it," Hutton said. "But it's refreshing for (newly enrolled Gow students) to come to a school where they are just like everyone else."

The Jim Grenauer Scholarship Fund will be awarded to one student each year.

The fashion show will be presented by Excuria Salon and Spa, Karma Knitting & Clothing, Fofa Brazil Jeans, Lotions and Potions, The Glen Park Tavern, Tricia's Shoes and Ad Impressions.

Fashions from these stores and Marco's Design will be on display during the event, which includes cocktails, lunch, the fashion show, silent and Chinese auctions, and door prizes.

Official sponsors of the event will be NOCO Energy Corp., Zaepfel Development, M&T Bank and James and Patrick Broad, owners and operators of Broad Spectrum Concrete.

"We are not registered as not-for-profit," Ellie said. "We are just a group of women who are volunteering to better the lives of women, children and families in the Western New York community."

For $40 tickets, call 984-6572, 632-7290 or 634-8827.