On Oct. 21, students entered the Mission Valley mall with an opportunity to participate in the annual Princess Project dresses sale. It is a volunteer based organization, collecting donated dresses from a number of clothing companies. The event’s objective is to provide high school seniors with free prom dresses.
To do this, donated dresses are separated into a five dollar section and a reserved prom section. The dresses placed in the five dollar section are ones not likely to be bought for prom and open to all students for any event. Meanwhile, reserved dresses are for high school seniors who can shop at an appointed time after the Princess Project holds its sale event.
“[The Princess Project event] is part of our outreach into the community. 100 percent of the proceeds from this event will go towards us purchasing dresses and sizes that we do not have enough of for the high school seniors [free prom dresses]. Around prom time, when the teens come in, we will have thousands of dresses [available] for the students,” Princess Project organizer Karen Nelson said.
The Princess Project is one of very few organizations offering young teens deals on dresses. Princess Project volunteer, Caren Seller Burg, notes the status of the nonprofit organization and further explores how the Princess Project hopes to promote self care and provide a number of opportunities to find the perfect dress for students.
“We are a 100 percent volunteer run 501 C three [portion of the United States Internal Revenue Code that allows for federal tax exemption of nonprofit organizations] nonprofit. We promote self confidence and individual beauty in every single teen that comes through our door by providing free prom dresses and accessories for prom,’’ Burg said.
A majority of the volunteers have worked with the Princess Project event for a number of years and collectively expressed their excitement when high school students prepare for their school dances. Moreover, Princess Project volunteer Connie Kaufman mentions that when the time comes for students to prepare for their dances, the Princess Project hopes to lessen any stress and accommodate a greater number of students every year.
“I have been working with the Princess Project since the beginning, almost 16 years. I was introduced to this with some friends at work, they were going to a fundraiser for Princess Project and invited me along. Immediately I was hooked with the thought of the organization, it has just grown tremendously in all of the years that I have been involved with it,” Kaufman said
One of the Princess Projects’ goals is ensuring that they include every available size in their inventory and are able to assist all students. The Princess Project includes dress sizes ranging from double 00 to 5xl. Kaufman notes how selling dresses for five dollars allows them to then increase the store’s size range.
“Selling [dresses] for five dollars allows us to purchase more dresses for [the high school seniors] prom dresses. Sometimes we struggle with [having a variety of ] sizing. The five dollar dresses give us money to make sure we get sizes for those students needing unique sizes,” Kaufman said.
As the event continued, excitement only grew when Miss San Diego Tia Henderson arrived and assisted customers at the event. Despite the unexpected number of students who arrived for dresses, Henderson continued to share her support of the event knowing everything went to a good cause.
“Today was incredible, there were probably 100 people in line an hour before we opened. We are so lucky and grateful to the community for donating so many of these gorgeous dresses to us. Even if the things these companies donate are not necessarily what we consider, we welcome students and [offer all] these dresses,” Kaufman said.
