It started over breakfast. Now, Once Upon A Prom is in its final week of donation drop-offs before the lucky graduates get to pick out their dresses and clothes.
Once Upon A Prom is collecting prom clothes — including jewelry, shoes and accessories — as well as soliciting sponsors to provide for hair and makeup for students graduating in the Yukon who wouldn’t otherwise be able to get the full prom experience. These students will be nominated to take part in the program by their teachers, principals and communities, said organizer Riley Denneny.
The organizers are asking for donations to be delivered to front offices of Porter Creek Secondary School or F.H. Collins during school hours between March 24 and 29. The 98 Bar and Hotel will also be accepting clothing donations in the evenings and on the weekend.
The initiative comes from Denneny’s time volunteering with the Cinderella Project — a charity that helps students get clothes for their prom, without cost. Since moving to the North, she said she saw the initiative happening a bit differently — often out of someone’s home.
But when one of the people spearheading that initiative left the territory, the project “just kind of sat for a while.” Denneny said she was waiting for the right opportunity and the right people to revitalize it.
When meeting with Kristie Sereda and Kaley-lynn Anne Hewitt-MacDougall for the first time over breakfast, Denneny pitched them her idea.
“I loved it as soon as I heard it, I was like, that's perfect. That's exactly what I want,” said Hewitt-MacDougall, recalling the meeting during an interview with the News on March 19.
“We're like, Yeah, let's do it totally. And then it just was like, well, we're doing it,” said Sereda.
The three had met over Facebook, and Denneny said Sereda and Hewitt-MacDougall “jumped on board” to get things off the ground.
They met with a woman who had previously been running the program, and got her blessing to get it started again.
That process involved reaching out to schools, advertising, asking for donations, and finding a place to store donations as they came in. Denneny said the teachers and staff at Porter Creek Secondary and F.H. Collins — both drop-off locations — had been instrumental in helping the initiative.
Once all donations are collected, Denneny said they will do an inventory of everything on hand, and then develop a nomination process with schools across the Yukon.
“We'll reach out to the schools, ranging, you know, starting in Whitehorse, but ranging across all the communities, you know, Watson Lake, to Dawson, to all the community places,” said Denneny.
“And then we basically ask the teachers and engage the teachers and the high school counselors, and, you know, people from the community to nominate people that they think may benefit from this program and that have worked really hard to be able to celebrate that.”
Denneny wasn’t able to share how many students will benefit from the program, as they have not yet collected all donations. She did say the number would be capped, as this is the first year the team is running the initiative.
Out of the nominees, students (and one guest each) will be invited to come to the “boutique day” the group will be operating at Velvet Antler Productions’ studio in May. The studio will be set up like a shop, and the students will be able to try on and select the dresses they want to wear to prom.
Lavish Beauty Bar will also be donating some time to do hair and makeup for two girls.
”That was a really wonderful donation from them, and we are looking for more sponsors in those areas that might want to help out and do some hair or makeup or both for some graduates,” said Hewitt-MacDougall.
As the event develops, there will likely also be the need for volunteers, said Denneny. One person has already volunteered to steam dresses, whereas another person has volunteered to help organize the dresses based on size.
One donor left a postcard pinned to the dress for whoever ends up picking it.
“It's a beautiful dress that was donated that came with, like, a postcard pinned to it about how the person who previously owned it felt so beautiful in it, and it was such a good experience. And they were basically passing that on to the person who is going to be next to wear it,” said Denneny.
People interested in becoming volunteers or sponsors can reach organizers at onceuponapromyukon@gmail.com
Contact Talar Stockton at talar.stockton@yukon-news.com
