It is not uncommon for teenagers to dream of dresses. But for many, that's as close as they can get - dreams. The cost of a prom gown is beyond their means, so all they can do is fantasize like Cinderella before the fairy godmother showed up.
That was just a tale. Although Mandy Paavola may appear to be a real-life fairy godmother, she is actual and so are the hundreds of fine dresses she has collected for the sole purpose of turning them into someone's night at the royal ball. Paavola has an all-volunteer program (most of it all her own effort) called Prince George Dress Dreams to make that kind of wish come true.
"Every year we help some amazing grads and every year we miss grads," Paavola said.
"Every year we miss the girls who need our help, so today I'm asking for your help."
The help she needs is almost effortless. She simply wants to know who needs a dress. Is there a girl (also, anyone on the LGBTQ spectrum) you know with a graduation event coming up for which a dress is required? Is that kind of dress unaffordable for the person you know? Paavola needs to know now so sizing appointments can be booked.
The process is easy. Pass the name on to Paavola. She will verify with the school or some other confirmation source. Then, the young client is given a sizing time at a publicly undisclosed location.
"We help anyone who needs our help: single-income families, teen moms, homeless grads, grads who live on their own and those who have overcome adversity and are graduating... Financial restrictions stop a lot of girls from attending prom. I have more than 700 gowns that have been donated by amazing members of our community and I want these gowns to go to these grads. Our only requirements are: graduating Grade 12 and in need. Pretty simple, right?"
What is not so simple is the storage of 700-800 gowns. Paavola has one outbuilding for this purpose. Some people have a shed; she has a backyard closet - and it's not a walk-in.
For these dresses to fit around a new owner, Paavola has quite a production to go through, moving them all to a donated room large enough for the "dresstival" of try-ons and decision making.
Therefore, the schedule has to be as tight as a corset on a strapless number.
She calls the sizing event Dreams Weekend.
"It's a single weekend for many reasons. One: logistics. Moving 700 dresses is a nightmare. I don't like doing it more than once a year. Two: free spaces large enough to host are hard to find. Three: volunteers. It's hard to find people to help."
Without a strictly organized approach to the event it can easily become "a dress brawl" said Paavola, but that's behind the scenes. What the shoppers see is almost a wonderland of flounce and silk. They get to wander the makeshift aisles, checking over sizes 0-30 in the Dress Dreams collection, enthusing over what might be the best one for their tastes and personality.
When they choose one, it is 100 per cent free of charge, basic alterations are often done right on the spot, then it is theirs to keep forever.
However, Paavola often gets the dress back again when the new owner is no longer in need of it.
The pay-it-forward rate is high, she said.
Of course every dress needs shoes, handbags, accessories, makeup, and other graduation accoutrements. Paavola would be grateful for any donations of such items.
Paavola is the award-winning proprietor of M.P. Makeup Artistry, a busy independent company and frequently philanthropic. To nominate a dress recipient or to offer a donation to the Dress Dreams cause (gown, shoes, accessories, gift cards, larger space to store dresses) contact her at her company's page on Facebook or email [email protected].
