KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Prom is a special event that only happens once a year— and the Cinderella Project is there to make sure no young woman misses out.
Cinderella Project is an annual event, which returned to Kalamazoo Friday.
Volunteers helped hundreds of girls say "yes to the [prom] dress," by helping them every step of the way— from picking out the perfect dress to making minor alterations.
“I volunteered here ten-plus years ago and I was one of the volunteers and it really made an impact on me. It was a lot of fun to go through and kind of play 'Say Yes to the Dress' with young ladies all day long,” Jax Anger-Pipe told FOX 17 Friday.
Jax did not volunteer with Cinderella Project this year, but instead brought her daughter to come find the perfect dress.
Like many other parents, she says she couldn't help but get emotional seeing her daughter find a dress that made her feel beautiful.
“I mean, some of the prom dresses that we see are $200 or $300, and as much as I would love to be able to go out and just throw that kind of money, you know, at that, it's something that's not always feasible, not for a lot of families,” Anger-Pipe added.
With four kids, Anger-Pipe said events, such as the Cinderella Project, help her save a lot of money.
Adrienne Wissner, the owner of Memories Bridal Sho, founded this event— which allows girls to pick one dress, a pair of shoes and some jewelry— for free.
“ Just giving them that freedom to choose is really a great opportunity for them,” Samantha Everts, who has been volunteering at the event for the last five years, said. “I never had the budget to, you know, afford a really nice dress and my senior prom dress came off the clearance rack at JC Penney's for 50 bucks. And that was even pushing my budget. So just being able to afford them the option is, is a really incredible and unique opportunity.”
Girls that find a dress have been encouraged to pay it forward by donating the dress back to the project for next year's shoppers.
In honor of Friday's event, our FOX 17 team members are throwing it back to our very own proms!
Check it out:
