Gown giveaway offers a helping hand for prom

LANCASTER – Jay Bahnsen and her fellow “fairy godmothers” will be ready to again create divas for local dances as they open the doors to Cinderella’s Closet.

The gown giveaway will be offered from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 28 in a new location: the basement of First United Methodist Church at High and Wheeling streets in Lancaster. Donated gowns are given away to high school girls in need of prom dresses.

It’s Bahnsen’s 10th year matching girls and gowns, and “making dreams come true,” she said. Although lacking magic wands, the fairy godmothers still make the transformations happen, Bahnsen said.

“We’re very open and truthful. We want the girls to look their best,” she said.

Each girl seeking a dress is matched with a volunteer to assist her.

“Some girls don’t have anyone to ‘oooh‘ and ‘aaah‘ and tell them how beautiful they look,” Bahnsen said.

Last year, 79 young women from 13 area high schools sought prom dresses.

The gowns of every size, style, length, glitz and glam are donated by area residents and by The Dresscode and sorted according to size and color. Fashion and Vanity Cleaners handles any necessary cleaning and pressing before the giveaway.

Young women are matched with a fairy godmother for the gown search on a first-come, first-served basis. No questions are asked about income or individual situations, Bahnsen stressed.

“It’s fun to help, to see their reactions,” said volunteer fairy godmother Karen Cook, who has helped young women select that special dress for about 10 years. “They are so appreciative, genuinely thrilled,” she said, noting that the girls who receive gowns realize the donated value of each dress as a major expense in the cost of prom readiness.

Cinderella’s Closet is sponsored by Delta Kappa Gamma, which underwrites transporting the gowns from storage. The Lancaster High School boys tennis team will load and unload the dresses.

To donate a dress, email Bahnsen at robinjay70@hotmail.com. She especially needs plus-sized gowns.