Imagine what Super Bowl weekend will be like for Ashley Manning. The obligations, the visitors, the expectations of a hometown hostess. The in-laws, the 10-month-old twins. And Eli playing Tom Brady in Peyton’s house!
Most of us would lock ourselves away with Sex and the City reruns and a tub of dark-chocolate-and-toffee-covered almonds from Whole Foods. (Seriously. So good.)
But Ashley Manning is a tough cookie, and she’s not retreating to the sidelines. On the morning of Friday, Feb. 3, she’ll co-host the 11th Annual Super Bowl Fashion Show, presented by Off the Field, the organization of the NFL Players Wives Association. Ladies will strut the runway in Saks’ finest. Karen Saturday, Heidi Dilger, and Maya Glenn are among the models. If case anyone doesn’t know who’s who, each NFL spouse in attendance will walk the runway with his wife as the finale.
A silent and live auction will include a portrait session with an artist once commissioned to paint the Queen of England. Charlotte Lucas, Indiana Supreme Court Justice Myra Selby, and other Indy leaders will be honored as “women of impact.” And the brunch nosh will be provided by Nikki Shaw, an accomplished chef who recently moved to Indy (her husband is a Pacers executive). You might have seen her on The Next Food Network Star. She was a finalist in season three.
Taking up the entire third floor of Saks, the event benefits two Indy charities: the Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital, and JT’s Hand, an organization focused on critically ill newborns and preemies. The latter foundation honors the son of former Colts player Jon Hand and his wife, Tanya, who is hosting this year’s event with Manning. “Both of us have made our home here in Indy,” Hand says, “and have made it a point to be very community-minded.”
Tickets are $250 per person, and the event is nearly sold out. To reserve a spot, call Hand at 317-509-9453.
Photos: Ashley and Peyton Manning; NFL players’ wives Pat Smith and Amy Vanderoef at last year’s Off the Field fashion show
