A local organization is seeking donations to give area teenagers a prom night to remember.
The Northwest Louisiana Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure is collecting gently used, pre-owned dresses for their fifth annual formal dress resale event through Susan’s Closet, a fundraiser that aims to outfit high school girls in beautiful formal gowns for special occasions. The dress sale will be held Saturday, Jan. 26, from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the gymnasium of First Baptist Shreveport, located at 543 Ockley Drive.
Ark-La-Tex girls are invited to browse through the many racks of dresses, which will be sold for $25 each regardless of the original purchase price of the dress. Lindsay Dean, executive director of the Northwest Louisiana Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, said dresses vary in size, color, design and some have even been worn on the Miss Louisiana pageant stage.
Dean said the variety of style ensures there’s something for everyone.
“We want every girl in the area to feel beautiful wearing a dress they can afford,” she said. “Everybody wants to find that good deal, but this event was created for people that may not be able to afford a dress.”
The idea behind Susan's Closet began four years ago with two sisters, Brenda Norton and Dianne Mitchell, who wanted a way to help the community while raising money for the fight against breast cancer. Dean said the annual event has raised approximately $30,000 in its four year existence, all of which goes directly back into the community.
“All of the finds we raise locally stay local and support things like our grants program, breast cancer screenings, education and support groups,” she said.
The sale will begin at 8 a.m. with high school shoppers for two hours then open to the general public. Dean said there is a three dress maximum per girl and dresses are marked down to half price at noon.
“Last year we had about 300 girls standing at the door when the first group was allowed in,” she said. “They are all so excited to get inside and pick a dress.”
While it is a fundraiser, Dean said there will also be an opportunity to educate young girls on the importance of regular screenings.
“We always have educational materials on hand with up to date information on the warning signs of breast cancer,” Dean said. “This is our chance to reach out to a different demographic because it’s never too early to educate.”
Susan’s Closet is dependent upon the generous donations of dresses by the community. Dean said they are still accepting dress donations, which are tax deductable, through tomorrow evening.
Drop off locations include any Porter’s location, Strandz Hair Design in Haughton and Hers Bridal in Minden. For more information, contact Lindsay Dean at (318) 220-7050 or visit www.susanscloset4cure.com.
