With the wave of a magic wand, Cinderella’s fairy godmother made her dream to attend the ball come true.
For today’s girls, the prom is often the event of a lifetime, but like the fairytale princess, the problem is not having the means to buy the “dress of her dreams.”
Enter two modern day “fairy godmothers”, who instead of using magic to create the perfect gown, are donating time and combining talent to present Cinderella’s Closet for one night only in Trail.
Cinderella’s Closet is an event that gives every high school girl the chance to find the perfect formal dress at an affordable price.
“Not everyone has someone who can go and buy them an expensive gown.” explained Lisa Frisk, a Trail esthetician who spearheaded the social occasion. “It’s an opportunity for those who can’t afford to travel to shop at fancy boutiques or spend a lot of money on a brand new dress.”
After partnering with Allison McCarthy, the annual giving coordinator for the Canadian Cancer Society, Frisk put the word out on social media that Cinderella’s Closet needed gently used formal dresses donated to the cause.
“The very first day I posted on Facebook I had a call from Sears in Castlegar,” she said.
“They had a box of more than 20 dresses to donate so that really started us off great.”
The alternative dress shopping event also gives opportunity to sell a glamourous dress that may have hung in the closet after being worn only one or two times.
“Most people wear a prom, pageant or bridesmaid dress one or two times at the most,” said Frisk.
“We’re all trying to go green right now and this is another way to recycle. So donate your dress and let’s sell it at Cinderella’s Closet.”
To date, Frisk has about 70 dresses of all colours, shapes, sizes and styles to put up for auction, with prices ranging from $50 to $250.
The evening begins at 6 p.m. Thursday night in the Local 480 Union Hall and includes door prizes donated by local businesses, live and silent dress auctions, closet shopping and refreshments.
Tickets are $5, and available at Aria Art of Hair on Pine Avenue or the Cancer Society office on Rossland Avenue.
The evening will begin with this year’s Trail ambassador program candidates and their friends modelling about
40 gowns alongside current Silver City royalty, including Miss Trail Cheyanne Friess and princess Emily Dawson.
Each dress has an assigned number and the audience will be given a program to check off the gown they wish to try on in a fitting room after the show.
“As soon as the girl gets off the runway the dress will go back on the rack,” said Frisk. “The dresses are categorized in sections and each dress has a photo and bidding sheet attached,” she explained.
“We tried to keep everything as organized as possible because there is a potential for chaos,” chuckled Frisk.
Additionally, there will be a rack of dresses that may need a little loving care, but all are priced under $50.
“Cinderella finally got the dress of her dreams,” said Frisk. “Prom is a special event, so it is my hope for all the girls who come out that they will find a dress and feel like a princess for that one night.”
Frisk first crossed paths with McCarthy, an events planner, at the Trail Market during the summer, when the Society’s “Tanning Is Out” campaign was in full swing.
That initiative aims to educate youth about the dangers of sun exposure and indoor tanning.
“Being an esthetician I wanted to provide my clients with literature about skin cancer prevention,” she said. “We started chatting and Cinderella’s Closet all kind of happened quite naturally.”
All proceeds from the evening will be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society, located on Rossland Avenue in the Gulch.
“My Dad has gone through cancer and my grandmother is going through it now,” said Frisk. “It’s all around us and the Canadian Cancer Society does our community a lot of good.”
For information contact Frisk at 364-2213 or McCarthy at 364-0403.