Prom dress donations

My friends in the features department at The Island Packet published a short story in today's (Friday) paper about a group that is collecting gently used prom and bridesmaid dresses and the accessories to accompany them. Read the story at http://www.islandpacket.com/lowcountrylife/story/760472.html

I thought this was a fabulous idea. It's designed to help teenage girls that can't afford to buy their own prom dresses.

I was fortunate enough that my family could provide those dresses for me, and I remember each dress and the magical time I had wearing them. I cannot imagine how heartbreaking it would be if a young girl could not afford to look like a fairy tale princess on her special night.

The group in Bluffton, S.C., is collecting these dresses and then providing girls in the community with a chance to go "shopping" March 1. Unfortunately, I will be out of town that weekend — in the city where all of my dresses happen to be.

Does anyone in the Raleigh area know of an organization that is doing this there?

I decided just to post some photos of my time wearing each of my beautiful dresses. Ah, memory lane ...

This beautiful purple dress is from Belk, I think. I wore it to my first Junior, Senior Banquet at North Raleigh Christian Academy in 2002 my junior year of high school. Pictured with me is my date that year, my then-boyfriend, Jamin Peck. I loved this dress. It has little flowing ribbons down the back, and I had ballet slippers dyed to match the dress.


Looking back on these photos now, this teal dress is my favorite. It's so beautiful. I got it from David's Bridal. I think I wore silver flats to go with it. I wore this dress to the Junior, Senior Banquet my senior year of high school in 2003. Pictured with me is my date that year, Steven Pearce, the brother of my friend, Amy.


I actually bought this dress for an event with a campus organization at UNC my freshman year. I wore it to that event, but I don't have any photos from that; and I think I only had it on for a total of about one hour. I think I got this dress from a department store as well. The quality of this photo is not very good, but the bodice is beaded with black shiny beads, and the skirt of the dress is black matte satin — though it blends in with his tux. Shown in this photo, I wore this dress to the prom of my then-boyfriend, Thomas Boyd, my freshman year of college in 2004. Thankfully I already had it for another event, so I didn't have to buy a new one!


This beautiful crimson dress was from David's Bridal. I was the maid of honor in my friend Amy Pearce's (now Amy Moseley) wedding. I had gloves and shoes that were dyed to match. It was a wonderful dress, and it was quite similar to the teal one I bought for my senior year prom. Amy got married in December of 2005.

So most of you probably don't care about my dresses, but most of you know how much I love fashion. ;) Each of these dresses carries wonderful memories, which is why I've kept them — well, that and I'm a pack rat.

I guess every girl keeps them thinking, "What if I have an occasion to wear this again?" I've reached the point, however, of being able to give them away. I mean, if I were to ever go to an event where I needed such a dress, I'd of course want to buy a new one, right? ;)

Besides, it would mean the world to me if I could make a young girl's special evening that much more special if she could wear them. So, please, if anyone knows of another organization that's collecting gently used prom or bridesmaid dresses, let me know. I want so much to be able to give them to a good cause.