After a conversation with a group of mothers about the expense of outfitting their daughters for the upcoming prom season, Amberly Coulter, realizing that her own prom dress had been hanging in her closet for a decade, decided to take on the role of Fairy God Mother.
What a waste, she thought, imagining how many other beautiful gowns were probably hanging in closets around the community. Making use of social media, Coulter put out a call to her Facebook friends to see just how many there were. “Within 48 hours, Christie (Camplin) was at my house with 16 dresses and offered to help out,” she said. Since then the pair of Fairy God Mothers have collected over 60 dresses which now hang in a make-shift boutique in Coulter’s basement waiting for their first “Cinderella.” The service, say the two, is not only for prom. There are many occasion where a formal dress would be needed – formals, graduation and weddings. Donations of cocktail, mother-of-the-bride and little girl dresses have also been made along with jewelry, shoes, purses, and tiaras, as well as local professionals volunteering their time and talent for hairdressing, make-up and photography sessions. “It’s exploded!” Growing up with a single mother and modest income, Coulter says she readily understands the financial strain formal events can have on a family’s budget, and the need for this service. Dresses will be free of charge with the hopes that they will be re-donated back into the project or traded for another event. “This is a free service; no one is making money.” The Cornwall Princess Project will be holding a dress drive on Saturday, Feb. 23, from 2 to 5, in Schnitzel’s banquet room. Anyone in need of a dress or looking to donate one, or any other service pertinent to the cause, is to leave a message on their Facebook page The Cornwall Princess Project, or email cornwallsprincessproject@hotmail.com. Donations of dry-cleaning and alteration services or gift certificates, would also be greatly appreciated. The sky is the limit, with hopes of growing this project as big as it will get and eventually moving to a larger space, but for now the two women are modest about their contribution to the project. “It’s Cornwall women helping Cornwall women; we just opened the door.”
