Drag Night for a Cause to benefit Carrie’s Fund

• Reprints

Carrie's Fund was established in honor of Carrie Hudek-Chiuso, a Homewood-Flossmoor High School counselor, who died in the 2008 Lane Bryant shootings in Tinley Park.

Updated: February 14, 2012 8:08AM

A grand bit of fabulous, feathers and fantasy will descend in Griffith, Ind., to honor the tragic death of a friend and help someone pursue his or her dreams.

Ben Mollin Hair Education will host the town’s inaugural Drag Night for a Cause on Jan. 14 to raise money for Carrie’s Fund, a scholarship for low-income students seeking to continue their education through college, trade school, etc.

The fund honors Carrie Hudek-Chiuso, one of five women gunned down at the Lane Bryant store in Tinley Park in 2008.

She worked with teens who weren’t dealt great hands in life, said Ben Mollin, founder of Ben Mollin Hair Education.

Her family, friends of Mollin’s, established the scholarship to honor her work, which included street gang intervention in Chicago’s Humboldt Park community.

Hudek-Chiuso also worked as a counselor at Homewood-Flossmoor High School in Flossmoor.

Mollin — who hosted a sold-out charity fashion show for the Flamini Foundation at his former salon, Bang Bang, and countless other fundraisers — said he wanted to do something huge for Carrie’s Fund, but none of his previous methods felt right.

Then he and freelance stylist and makeup artist Alex Garcia, of East Chicago, Ind., with whom Mollin works, went out to celebrate their birthdays at the end of November.

They ended up at a drag show in downtown Chicago, and the lightbulb went on.

“Alex found four drag queens who were happy to help, and it was done,” Mollin said. “Besides, who doesn’t like drag queens?”

Mollin said he expects the crowd to be full of artistic, eclectic people, who will make the event all the more fun.

There will be singing, lip-synching, noshing, beverages, raffles throughout the night and just the overall insanity that comes with seeing a drag show.

“It’ll be similar to going to the Baton (Show Lounge) in Chicago,” Mollin said.

All monies raised will go toward the fund, which is a nationwide endeavor that provides a substantial amount of money toward its recipients’ education, if not full tuition.

Because of the cost, the fund has put two recipients through school so far, according to Mollin.

“A top-tier beauty school costs between $15,000 and $18,000, so it’s not cheap,” he said.

“But we’re planning to host more events throughout the year so we can replenish the fund.”

Michelle L. Quinn is a free-lance writer.

THE MISSION OF CARRIE’S FUND

Established to provide financial assistance to Homewood-Flossmoor and Lincoln Way high school students continuing their education, Carrie’s Fund aims to continue Carrie Hudek-Chiuso’s legacy of helping her students to realize their full potential through hard work and discipline.

Carrie’s Fund is a registered 501(c)(3) charity and administered by the namesake’s family. No fees of any kind are deducted, and 100 percent of all donations will go to the students.

The account is held at Heritage Bank in Frankfort.

Information: carriesfund.org.