More than 350 high school girls from throughout the Chicagoland area were given the royal treatment on April 19th when they visited Cinderella’s Closet, a prom boutique organized by the Junior League of Kane & DuPage Counties, Inc. (JLKD). The event, now in its fourth year, is designed to provide financially-challenged students access to gowns, jewelry, purses… pretty much everything they need for prom – all FREE OF CHARGE!

Held at Prisco Community Center in Aurora, this year’s event was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., but the doors opened an hour early to begin serving the 200 plus girls who already had gathered in the waiting area by that time.

“It looked like an ‘American Idol’ audition,” commented Allison Kurtz, a new member of JLKD. “The waiting room was packed and there was a line out the door and into the parking lot.”

The first group to arrive – five girls from St. Gregory High School in Chicago – had come in the night before and stayed at a nearby hotel in order to be first in line at a little before 6 a.m. Another group of 23 girls from Franklin Park arrived by bus with their school social worker.   Most girls came with their moms, aunts, older sisters or other adult guardians and left with complete prom wardrobes and big smiles on their faces. 

“This was by far our biggest year yet,” declared Brandy Fernow, chairman of the Cinderella’s Closet committee within JLKD, who said that last year’s event attracted approximately 215 girls. “Word is definitely spreading, which is wonderful!”

The goal of Cinderella’s Closet, explained Fernow, is “to help every girl feel like a princess at her prom.” At the event, girls are greeted by volunteer "Fairy Godmothers" who serve as personal shoppers as they select from among thousands of beautiful dresses, all current styles and many new with tags. Once each girl has found her dream dress, she then can select jewelry and other accessories to make her outfit complete. Dresses are packaged as if they were purchased in a designer shop and each girl receives a goodie bag filled with beauty supplies and other prom related items as she exits the boutique.

All of the dresses and accessories available through Cinderella’s Closet are donated by individuals or companies. Thanks to support from the local communities and businesses over the years, the Cinderella’s Closet inventory is stocked with thousands of stunning and fashionable formal dresses.

“We are continually touched by the amazing support we receive each year from the many people both within and outside of our organization who have developed a special affinity for this project,” said JLKD President Mandie Cummins. “This year, for instance, someone anonymously donated hundreds of brand new earrings, necklaces and bracelets. It is this kind of generosity from caring individuals and businesses within our communities that has enabled us to make a difference in the lives of so many young women through this project.”

In addition to making donations, community members also can get personally involved at the event. In fact, nearly half of the 140 volunteers at this year’s even were from outside of the JLKD organization, including seamstresses from the Association of Sewing and Design Professionals of Chicago who provided on-site alterations and professional stylists from Zazu Salon in Naperville who consulted with girls about what hairdos might work best with their dresses. Also joining this year’s event were two celebrity Fairy Godmothers – 2007 Miss Illinois Outstanding Teen MerrieBeth Cox and Debbie Sienkowski, Ms. Indiana American Dream 2008.

Cinderella’s Closet is just one of the many charitable projects organized by JLKD each year. The group supports numerous community partners by collecting needed items and volunteering countless hours of time. JLKD also conducts a variety of community outreach programs focused on building dreams, promoting literacy and improving self-esteem among children in our communities, including:

• Children’s Waiting Room – a place for children to safely play in a supervised environment while their parent or caretaker is involved in court-related business at the Kane County Judicial Center.
  
• Story Wizards – a traveling literacy program that encourages a love of reading in young children.
  
• Kids in the Kitchen – a project addressing the growing issues of child obesity and nutrition.
  
• Fitting in Together – a program designed to transition girls from elementary to middle school in social, emotional, and developmental areas.

Anyone interested in learning more about JLKD and its service projects is encouraged to attend one of the following informational socials scheduled throughout the summer:

• Tuesday, May 20th – 7-9 p.m. in Aurora
• Tuesday, June 10th – 7-9 p.m. in Naperville
• Sunday, June 22nd – 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in Elburn
• Tuesday, July 15th – 7-9 p.m. in Elburn
• Sunday, August 3rd – 3-5 p.m. in Naperville

Information also is available by visiting www.jlkd.org. The Junior League of Kane & DuPage Counties, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children at  risk in our community.