The Woodlands’ Stylish Community Champions Step Up For Interfaith — Jill Simms and Sondra Lagasse Keep It In the House

Editor’s note:This is the first in a series of stories on the Interfaith’s Community Champions who will walk the runway at The Woodlands’ nonprofit’s August gala.

The Walk, Interfaith’s signature fashion show and gala, shines a spotlight on The Woodlands’ Community Champions each year. At this year’s grand gala on August 22, five Woodlands power pairs will take to the runway following the fashion show. These duo will be recognized for their longstanding commitment to serving the community.

The first pair are Woodlands Style House owners Jill Simms and Sondra Lagasse.

Simms and Lagasse have worked behind the scenes with Interfaith for several years, creating photo backdrops and step and repeats. They put together a champagne wall last year. They also both have served on the gala committee for several years.

“We’ve also been working with them for years as our charity of choice for Woodland Style House,” Simms tells PaperCity The Woodlands. “Sandra and I both are in NCL chapters here with our daughters. And we both volunteer with our daughters all over town. But one of our favorites was Interfaith’s Hand Me Up Shop.

“We end up over there quite a bit, helping with donations and sorting and stocking the racks. And we just really talked about how much we loved it. And so a couple years ago, we started talking to Missy Herndon and said ‘Hey, we’d really like to get more involved.’ “

That conversation sparked an idea that has grown into an annual tradition. Simms and Lagasse launched a community donation drive to help stock the Hand Me Up Shop while raising awareness of its mission.

“We wanted to get the word out in the community that this is a great place to bring your donations,” Simms says. “We just had our third annual donation drive this year.”

A Milestone 10 Years

The honor also comes during a milestone year for Woodlands Style House.

“This is also our 10th year in business,” Lagasse says. “So it’s kind of a fun celebration going down the runway. I am very excited though to do it with Jill and be honored in that way. It was such an honor when Missy asked us to do it.”

For Simms, the Interfaith gala’s Dynamic Duos theme couldn’t be more fitting.

“When Missy and the team surprised us and asked us to do it, they told us the theme was Dynamic Duos,” Simms says. “We thought, ‘That couldn’t be more perfect’ because one goes with the other. We don’t do anything apart anyway.”

The stylish duo turned to local boutique Couture House to help style their runway looks. While the evening’s dress code is black and white, the Community Champions will add vibrant pops of color to the celebration.

When Simms and Lagasse step onto the runway, they’ll be cheered on by their families, the Woodlands Style House interior design team and countless friends whose lives they’ve touched through years of giving back. Their walk in The Woodlands will celebrate not only a decade of building a successful business together, but also a partnership rooted in friendship, service and an unwavering commitment to making The Woodlands a stronger community.