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Ladies: Do you have any fancy dresses hanging around your closet? Give them a new chance at life – but, more importantly, donate them to a teenage girl so she can feel beautiful for a night.

The Princess Project provides free prom dresses to Bay Area girls who otherwise could not afford them, and this year collections are taking place through Sunday. Pleasanton’s drop-off site is Stoneridge Shopping Center, at guest services on the lower floor of the mall. Dresses should be dry-cleaned and on a hanger.

The Princess Project began in 2002 when a high school girl in a youth leadership program happened to mention to staff members that lots of girls can’t go to their proms because they don’t have the money to buy a dress or accessories.

The women realized that they and many of their friends had dresses from parties, their daughters’ proms and weddings that they would be glad to donate. The Princess Project, run entirely by volunteers, was born. It now helps about 4,000 girls each year at its March giveaways in San Francisco, Silicon Valley and San Diego.

The volunteers also hold fundraisers to help with expenses since some gowns and many accessories have to be purchased. And they have to work to get someone to donate space for the spring dress drive and giveaways.

To learn more, visit www.princessproject.org.

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7 Comments

  1. What a screwed up society we live in. I’m sure the people behind The Princess Project have their hearts in the right place, but WTF? Their mission statement includes: “…promotes self-confidence and individual beauty by providing prom dresses and accessories to high school girls who cannot otherwise afford them.” So what are we reinforcing here??? If you don’t have a nice dress and *accessories* then what? You’re ugly? You shouldn’t go to your prom unless you have this stuff?

    I thought the whole idea behind the concept of “individual beauty” is that none of us are defined by our material possessions or outward appearance. Isn’t the Princess Project reinforcing exactly the opposite?

    Celebrating 10 years of Time, Talent, & Taffeta! I call Shenanigans! You people should go out and find something more worthwhile to do with your time and clothes.

  2. Dear Mr. Cranky,
    Are you not forgetting your audience? Most of us are Pleasantonians, last time I checked. If your values don’t conform with ours, I recommend you find somewhere to live – someplace maybe where money isn’t the be-all end-all of everything, and people talk about justice at least as much as they talk about freedom (trans., possessive individualism).

  3. This is amazing and we will contribute. If a girl wants to go to her prom and the family doesn’t have the resources, I can’t imagine someone finding fault with giving these young ladies the same access to dresses that those who can afford them can.

    About ten years ago, I was disabled for about six months and a single mom. Sometimes I had to choose between necessities and providing little things for my children. I was humbled by the kindness of others including when my daughter was given a sports scholarship to play recreational ball.

    Unless you’ve been there and forced to say no to something so important to a child, maybe this won’t make sense to you. But having been there, a dress drive like this not only helps give all girls a chance to enjoy a beautiful night out, but also gives people that donate an opportunity to smile knowing they made a difference in a child’s life.

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