The lawn of Zilker Lodge transformed into a vibrant runway of ‘WonderPups’ for the annual Yappy Hour & Pup Fashion Show on Sunday, April 19. Organized by the Wonders & Worries Teen Leadership Council (TLC), the event brought together local families and their dogs to raise money for children navigating a parent’s serious illness or injury.

The fashion show itself brought out a diverse lineup of dogs, from calm therapy pips to energetic family pets. People cheered in the audience as the pups walked the runway in elaborate costumes, with outfits ranging from colorful peacocks to small ducks.

“It is so fun to see the dog owner’s creativity with the costumes. It is amazing to have ducks and peacocks and all these amazing homemade costumes that people come up with,” Wonders & Worries Outreach Coordinator Tatiana Sokolik said.

Beyond the runway, the event felt like a space where people could spend time together. Attendees walked away with swag bags packed with items from local sponsors like Raising Cane’s.

“I just really like being at the event and getting to meet everyone who’s attending and who’s donated, and getting to meet all the dogs especially,” St. Dominic High School Student Julia Ridgeway said.

Serving on the TLC’s sponsorship committee, Arya Pillai ’28’s responsibilities include reaching out to local businesses to ensure that cost is never a barrier for families in need of mental health resources.

The TLC provides free, professional support to help children and teenagers ages 2-18 cope during difficult family transitions. Some of their main services and programs include support sessions, therapeutic play, and recreational activities to promote family connection.

“We use all the money to be able to support people getting counseling for free,” Pillai said, “[This] is very important because it makes counseling more accessible [for people].”

The work that went into this event started months before the Yappy Hour began. The student-led committees handled the logistics behind the event, such as coordinating with vendors and making sure the community knew why they were showing up. For Pillai, being a part of the council was a way to stay connected to an organization she was already familiar with.

“I found out through Wonders & Worries because I was already a part of it, so I got an email about it,” Pillai said. “I got a lot of emails from them because I used to be a client, and so I get emails when these fundraisers occur.”

On the other hand, Ridgeway served in the sponsorship crew this year, where she reached out to businesses to sponsor the event, often following up multiple times to get responses.

“I’m the head of the sponsorship crew, so I was contacting and emailing sponsors to get them to donate to the event,” Ridgeway said. “A lot of times they don’t respond or you have to go in person, but other than that, it’s not too bad.”

Ms. Sokolik set the schedule and speakers for the event, but credits the students for the event’s successes.

“I love watching the teenagers give back to an organization that makes something to them or to some of their peers,” Ms. Sokolik said. “The teenagers really take on most of [the organization], so they make it easy for me.”

To council members, seeing the families enjoying the event together was the most rewarding part of the entire process. After months of sending emails and designing for the event, seeing the community show up in person made the effort feel worth it.

“It’s been so rewarding to see everything finally come together after months of planning,” Paige Chien ’27 said. “Being able to help children who have been impacted by Wonders & Worries and getting to support the organization is definitely the best part.”

Illness or injury is something that almost everyone has a story about, and an event like this is a way to make those situations feel a little less lonely. It’s about people coming together to make sure no one has to figure it all out by themselves.

“I think we all know someone who’s impacted by an illness or injury,” Ms. Sokolik said. “[To] come together and work together to make sure [these] kids are able to get support [is the most significant part].”

In total, this event raised $21,829. The earnings from events like these demonstrate how having a good time with community members can impact and support those in need.

“[My favorite part has been] watching the teenagers give back to an organization that meant something to them or to some of their peers and to recognize the importance that it does for their peers, or themselves, and just the passion that they have for giving that to this organization,” Ms. Sokolik said.