Several local high school girls are shown modeling the dresses that have been donated for The Cinderella Project. These are just a few of the dresses that have been donated and will be given away on Sunday, Feb. 24.
While the fashion trends may change from year to year, the memories are typically the same. Unfortunately in today’s economic climate, many young ladies in the Calhoun and Gordon County area are unable to make those memories due to the financial obligations involved.
“Times are tough for a lot of families in our area,” said Michelle Jeffords of Calhoun, “but we believe that every girl deserves a fairytale memory.”
Jeffords, along with friend, Karen Shaw, is organizing The Cinderella Project of Gordon County, which provides semi-formal and formal dresses free of charge to local girls who are unable to purchase them.
“Karen and I were talking one day and we quickly realized that we share the same burden for helping these girls,” Jeffords explained. “We did some research and found out that many communities all over the country host The Cinderella Project each year.”
The pair sent messages to friends and posted information on their social media accounts asking for dresses to be donated to the project.
“I was literally in tears as I watched post after post appear on my Facebook status of people willing to help us,” Shaw said. “One dear friend – who is the mother of two sons – said she never had the opportunity to shop for dresses and wanted to help.”
The Cinderella Project dress giveaway will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 24 at the Sonoraville High School gymnasium. The event will begin with a fashion show highlighting many of the dresses that will be given away. Refreshments will be offered after the fashion show.
“This is open to all girls from Calhoun and Gordon County who are unable to purchase a dance dress,” Jeffords said. “After the fashion show, the girls will be able to look through all the dresses that have been donated and try them on for size. We only ask that once they no longer need the dress, that they give it to someone else or donate it back to The Cinderella Project of Gordon County.”
The dresses will be distributed on a first-fit, first-served basis, Shaw added.
“We are still accepting donations because our greatest fear is that we won’t have enough dresses for every girl that needs one,” she said. “We need all sizes from small to plus sizes.”
Dresses may be dropped off at Merle Norman in Calhoun or at Jeffords Well Drilling on Fairmount Highway. Pick up service is available as well.
“We’ve had so many people offer their expertise for this project, including Tori York and Judy Housley of The Hair Port in Calhoun, Liza Allen of Merle Norman, and Marsha Nicholson of Marsha’s Style Shop in Fairmount,” Shaw said. “We are so appreciative of their support and are thrilled to see this project come to fruition for the benefit of local girls.”
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