Foundation, Students Team Up To Offer Prom Dresses At 'Glass Slipper' Event
Foundation, Students Team Up To Offer Prom Dresses At 'Glass Slipper' Event
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Staff Report-
Foundation, Students Team Up To Offer Prom Dresses At 'Glass Slipper' EventDreams came true for 49 "Cinderellas" Saturday.
After months of collecting dresses and accessories for girls who otherwise couldn't afford them to go to prom, "The Glass Slipper Collection" was held at the Kosciusko County Community Foundation.
The "Glass Slipper" was started by Warsaw Community High School junior Alexis Lisenbee and freshman Katie Cobb.
Saturday's events started with Nate Behnke, Rod Ewing, Jesse Skeans, Chris Hambrock and Ron Wright meeting with Peggi Lisenbee-Wright, of CCS, Alexis and Cobb at CCS to load up the dresses. Dress racks then were picked up at Elder Beerman, along with a portable dressing room from Think Young, tablecloths from Wildman Uniform & Linen, mirrors from Kmart and racks and jewelry displays from Ruby.Wildman also provided bags to cover the dresses as the girls left. Everything was taken to the Kosciusko County Community Foundation.
The men set up the tables and racks at the foundation, delivered heavy items around and returned about three hours later to tear it all down and put it back, according to Alexis.
She said with the foundation providing the location, there was plenty of room for the girls to try on the dresses, and the foundation was easy to find.
"They even had signs that read 'Glass Slipper - Downstairs' in the windows. I don't know why that impressed me, but I thought it was the coolest thing ever," said Lisenbee.
Kylie Snyder and Sabrina Phillips provided cookies and cupcakes. Jennifer Hayes made punch.
Wal-Mart provided a gift card to buy snacks, plates and cups. Trinamic Printing provided pink and silver napkins.
"We asked for flower arrangements to put on the tables and Ace Floral donated three absolutely beautiful large fresh flower centerpieces," said Lisenbee. "Tammy Smith and Jennifer Hayes handled check in and that is the most difficult task of any event I think. It was really fun, too, putting a face with a name and getting to know the girls. Grace Fields brought the flowers from Ace Floral and, along with Sue Holloway, helped girls find dresses, coordinated dressing rooms and visited everyone over cookies and punch."
Ashlyn Vitoux and Lacey Lisenbee, seventh-graders, were in charge of cookies, cupcakes, punch and jewelry. Alexis Lisenbee said they did a great job.
Girls from every school system in the county came, including one who lived in Warsaw and dates an out-of-county boy, and a couple of girls who live in the county but attend out-of-county schools, she said.
"It was great!" said Alexis of the day. "One of the girls asked me when she had to bring the dress back, and when I told her she could keep it, she said, 'This is like the best shopping ever!'"
Another girl looked and looked and was sitting down thinking she wasn't going to find one. Peggi and Alexis walked around with her and found one. She tried it on and the fit was perfect, said Alexis. Everybody clapped when she walked out "looking hot." When they found out it was the girl's birthday, everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to her.
Several people from the county provided alterations, Alexis said, so they were able to give cards with the information to several girls whose dresses needed a little fixing.
"It's my first 'fundraiser' and I was really thankful for how it turned out. It could have been serious and hectic ... well, it was hectic. It turned out to be fun though. Girls who didn't know each other were talking and laughing, moms and grandmas were eating cookies and drinking punch and visiting, and girls were trying on different dresses, walking in, and getting everyone's opinions on which looked best," said Alexis.
"Through it all, I kept thinking this is just as crazy and just as fun as shopping at the mall," she said. "Some tried on a half a dozen dresses, others were like the one who walked in and found the perfect red dress she'd been hoping for, with the perfect fit, right away. Because people were so generous with their donations, we got to give each girl an extra 'after-prom' short dress if they wanted one."
She said they had a very generous donor who never wants to be credited. They donated funds because they believe that everyone who wants to go to prom should be able to, she said, so they were able to provide tuxedos to a dozen boys.
The boys are from different schools throughout the county. Kevin Moore at Male Fashions offered a discounted service immediately so they could help more boys.
Kathy Sands, Floral Expressions, offered corsages and Boutonniéres.
Lori Fisher from Fiesta and Tammy Spangle from Design One are providing hairstyles, and independent stylist Mikel Blanton is doing prescheduled hairstyling for the Warsaw and Whitko proms at CCS May 16.
Alexis said they had certificates for the girls who wanted those things and gave them envelopes at check in.
"We'll be providing prom tickets once they are printed to quite a few students; and Boathouse, Hacienda, Ruby Tuesday and the Barbee Hotel gave gift certificates for a prom meal," said Alexis.
