DailyHerald.com:
After appearing in the original season of Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” Lake Bluff resident Kimberly Bryant finds herself recognized wherever she goes.
“Especially when I’m with my family,” the suburban homemaker says. “We’re all surprised by how much we’ve lost our anonymity.”
Still, on Sunday, she is willing to put her fame to good use, when she headlines the 16th annual Dream a Little Dream Fashion Show, to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
The event takes place at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont and already has sold out, drawing more than 1,300 guests. Allison Rosati, co-anchor of NBC 5 Chicago, will serve as emcee.Took a couple of years, but I finally tracked you down Kimberly Bryant!
“Kimberly is not what you think, when you think of a celebrity from reality TV,” says Cathy Breit, of Northbrook, one of the founders of the fashion show. “She’s sharp and articulate and passionate about helping other people.”
Bryant attended the fashion show last year with a friend and immediately drew fans in attendance, especially younger ones, to seek her autograph.
“We figured she could bring in a younger crowd and help make them aware of St. Jude’s,” adds Breit, whose father, Joseph Shaker, was one of the original businessmen to start St. Jude’s with actor Danny Thomas.
“What we didn’t know was how involved she would be, as our honorary chair. She’s got such fun, creative fundraising ideas.”
The other reason Bryant was such a good fit is that she is a cancer survivor. As a native of Newport Beach, Calif., she says she grew up on the beach and, as a result, has had five episodes with malignant melanoma.
One of those was part of the storyline in her “Real Housewives” season, which aired in 2006.
“For me, the only thing worse than having cancer would be if one of my children were to have cancer,” Bryant says. “That’s why I’ve become such a huge supporter of St. Jude’s and all the work they do in treating childhood cancer.”
She was always my favorite and I was really sad when she left the show. She seemed to be a lot more genuine and less prone to over the top, ridiculously self-indulgent drama just for the sake of hearing herself talk. And she's very pretty!
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