FARMINGTON — Thirty-six girls from Sandy River area Girl Scout troops participated in the debut “Trash Can Couture” fashion show Saturday at the University of Maine at Farmington.

The event featured girls ages 5-14 modeling dresses they made from trash bags. It was held by Girl Scout Troop 54 of Kingfield and was well-attended. A standing-room-only crowd of parents, friends and relatives filled both sides of the runway.

Flickering fake candles inside tinfoil cupcake cups lined the outer edges of the walkway down to the judges’ table and back to the starting area.

While show judges Carolyn Tranten of Kingfield, Ann Dunn of Strong and Joanne Hendrigan of Salem Township and Dracut, Mass., got organized, an air of excited expectancy wafted above the girls garbed in fine plastic waiting behind the show wall to strut their stuff.

Troop 54 leader Madison Kangas of Strong introduced the show to the audience, thanking them for the outpouring of support from the community.

All proceeds from the show will go toward toiletries, stickers, stuffed animals and socks that will go into “Blessing Bags” for homeless shelters in Lewiston, the New Hope Women’s Shelter in Solon and the Economic Ministries in Salem Township, Kangas said. The bags also contain an inspirational quote — “Made with love by Troop 54, because you matter.”

“This is basically about girls supporting girls,” Kangas said. “When I first brought this idea to the troop, I really wanted to do something for the community because this is about gratitude and teaching the girls needs before wants. And it was really touching that they wanted to do this.”

The children have also been collecting donations at their schools.

As amped music emanated from the speakers of DJ Warlock & Son of Farmington, Megan Norster, a volunteer mother from Strong, got the show rolling. She announced the name of each model as she paraded, sashayed or walked down the runway and back for a glamour photo session.

Kangas led the first shy model, Vanessa Barker, 7, of Phillips, down the runway as the audience erupted into loud applause. But when Barker reached the judges’ table, nerves apparently kicked in and she ran to her mother who was sitting on the floor filming it with a cellphone and didn’t want to return.

“You want to go back up?” Kangas asked Barker, who shook her head no. “That’s OK.”

The show continued.

“All right, Contestant No. 2, Trinity Bachelder,” Norster said, and out came Trinity to even louder applause and whistling. She was holding a decorated paper-plate fan tightly to her chest with one hand and the folds of her long black leaf-bag dress with the other hand.

Outfits were judged on design and originality. Eight-year-old Natasha Nichols of Strong took first place in the ages 5 to 10 category and Alyssa Snydecki, 8, of Strong, and her “adorable accessory” Monica Buck, 3, also of Strong, took second place.

Risa Marble, 14, of Strong took first place in the ages 11 to 14 category, and Shianne Bryant, 12, took second place.

Norster, owner of Ellie Rain Cakes in Strong, made the cake for the after-show dance party that wrapped up the event.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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