CREDIT: MELISSA NOVACASKA
A number of volunteers, including Fanshawe members are coming together to give young women the chance to feel beautiful at prom this year.

Fanshawe students have partnered once again with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) including Woodstock Police Service and a variety of other groups to help young women feel their absolute best at prom this year.

The All Dressed Up event is a free initiative that calls for gently used prom dresses, shoes, accessories and makeup, for women who are attending their grade 8 or grade 12 prom this year, according to Const. Nikki VanLeeuwen, community service media relations for Woodstock Police Service, who has been participating in this event before her current position with the police.

“Basically these girls don’t have to spend a cent, everything is free,” VanLeeuwen said

VanLeeuwen said that the young women can also get their dresses dry cleaned and altered, as well as a coupon to get their hair done by the students at Fanshawe’s hair design department in Woodstock. There is even free shuttle to the event, with funds the program receives from areas such as Unifor Local 88 Ingersoll, while any extra funds goes towards things such as buying new dresses, according to VanLeeuwen.

“Last year we had a young lady [who] it was difficult to find a dress for her, so we actually helped buy her a dress at a dress store,” Van- Leeuwen said.

The dresses can also be altered from Fanshawe’s fashion design department which can either be done right on the spot, or back at the London campuses if the adjustment is a bigger project. City Wide Cleaners in Woodstock is also on hand for free dry-cleans.

VanLeeuwen said Fanshawe has been a partner for as long as she can remember.

“It’s kind of two fold, the students who come and participate feel so good about what they’re doing, they’re giving back, their using their skills. But it’s nice to have a consistent commitment. It is a huge commitment and it’s a lot of work, so to expect someone who has a private business volunteer, which we had done in the past, it’s just too much, so we’re really lucky to have Fanshawe on board,” VanLeeuwen said.

This year, the event will be held on March 8 at the Ingersoll Seniors Centre which was the same location as last year, while the young women are from Oxford country schools. However, if students from other counties come by, the group will not turn them away.

“Prom and grad are expensive, [and] not everybody has that kind of money, in fact most people even if you have double incomes, it’s expensive to live,” VanLeeuwen said. “It’s important for young women to feel beautiful on that day, to be spoiled. Some girls come very discouraged and are so happy with a big smile on their face because they feel beautiful once they get the dress of their dreams.”

VanLeeuwen said that there are times when some girls already have their dress, but need alterations, or take advantage of the shoes and accessories, makeup and hair benefits.

According to VanLeeuwen, there’s usually about 1,000 dresses that are donated and last year there were 80 girls who took part in the event.

VanLeeuwen confirmed that donations have already been “rolling in” and that it’s an amazing and “feel good” event that is personal for herself, since her parents couldn’t afford a dress when she went to prom, and she ended up borrowing one that wasn’t the greatest.

According to VanLeeuwen, there are personal shopping volunteers who can help the young women find their dream outfit, since it can be overwhelming and there can be a lot of pressure during the whole process.

“It’s very heartwarming, probably one of the most important things that I participate in,” Van- Leeuwen said.

Lorrie Lawrence, a Fanshawe fashion design technologist, has been part of the event since March 2011 since connecting with Van- Leeuwen, and tag teams with fellow fashion colleagues Janice Kobarda, the apparel construction teacher at the college.

The two round up between two to four student volunteers who can help alter dresses, though with busier times, four is always best. Usually second and third year students are the ones preferred to volunteer unless a first year has sewing skills.

“In one night we can alter about 20 to 30 dresses and then we bring a pile home to finish altering over the next month or so,” Lawrence said. “[It’s] amazing. It’s very fulfilling,” Lawrence said of the whole experience.

Lawrence said that with the need of the event growing, it’s wonderful to see people get together and accomplish something so great for students.

“It’s the giving back, the appreciation of your time and seeing how little effort can make somebody else happy. Pay it forward.”

For more information, or to make an appointment, you can contact VanLeeuwen at NVanLeeuwen@woodstockpolice.ca or Const. Stacey Culbert at Stacey.Culbert@opp.ca

Donations can also be made at the Woodstock Police Station or the Ingersoll or Tilsonburg OPP detachment.