Free prom dress giveaway lifts barriers
Events are returning in earnest, and families are being forced to prioritize material things in today’s tight economy. An event hosted by New Beginnings is trying to help.
“Everything now is very expensive,” said Bana Albek, who was helping her daughter look for a dress.
There is a pep in the step of young girls in advance of semi-formal dances and prom season.
“Let's go mom. We were out the door at 8:15. The event starts at 10,” said Sandi Harris, who was one of many who lined up outside for the free-dress giveaway.
“COVID. There weren't proms everywhere. Graduation,” said Stacey Yannacopoulos, executive director of New Beginnings. “A lot of it was virtual so this is the first year that schools are back full force and the kids are excited.”
Suna Albek had a few dresses to try on, “I'm very happy. These dresses would be like a thousand dollars if we had to buy them.”
That kind of disposable income is not readily available in today's economy.
“You don't have to worry about the pressures and the stress of putting out 800 to a thousand dollars for a dress. Look how happy she is,” said Harris.
There were over 500 dresses to choose from with accessories and shoes to boot. It took her daughter Jada 45 minutes to find the right one.
“It's really exciting because it gives kids who don't have the opportunity, who don't have the funding to get the dress of their dreams. It's really a big thing,” she added.
Cielo Larson drove in with her mom from Kingsville for her dress.
“Me, I can't afford something, like, this pretty, and I know a lot of people can't and that's why they miss the opportunity of prom or semi. I'm lucky to have this opportunity that I can,” said Larson.
Donations throughout the year helped make this event a possibility.
Yannacopoulos said donations can be made at New Beginnings or at their other building at 1049 Janette Ave.
“Events like this eliminates one barrier and make this time of year magical and special,” said Yannacopoulos.
Harris is thankful and was thrilled because her daughter was happy, “She will get her grad and seeing her in the dress just brings tears to my eyes [because] she's beautiful.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.