THUNDER BAY – A group of woman are going above and beyond to ensure every young woman in the city has a dress for graduation.
Aon Reed Stenhouse is hosting a community service project called Gowns for Girls Saturday, April 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the insurance company’s office on Amber Drive.
Office administrator, Carol Hammerberg, said the Gowns for Girls project is geared toward providing free prom dresses, shoes, and accessories to young women who cannot otherwise afford them.
“Some of these girls are spending $700 to $800 on graduation dresses,” Hammerberg said.
“We were trying to think what the other girls do that aren’t fortunate enough to come from families who can afford that, so we started collecting dresses.”
Hammerberg has reached out again to the Lakehead Public School Board, the Thunder Bay Catholic School Board, and to the Superior-Greenstone District School Board to discuss the project with their students.
One student from Terrace Bay has stepped up to the plate and asked the group if she could drive down and pick up a few dresses for those who can’t make the drive to Thunder Bay.
“I thought that was a marvelous idea and this way they get to try them on,” she said.
“Last year, we had some people come in and try to send sizes and see what would work with what girl, but this works much better.”
Last year’s Gown for Girls event was a success and there were still a lot of dresses left, so the group knew they needed to host it again this year.
Hammerberg said there were so many tears of happiness last year it just melt her heart.
“It was a fun girl’s day where everybody just made everybody feel beautiful.”
Donations on the day of the event are greatly appreciate, but Hammerberg said they are not mandatory.
Any money received will be donated to a women’s charity, which has yet to be decided.
Dresses can be donated to Aon Reed Stenhouse.
