Junior League Seeks Dresses and Accessories for 6th Annual Cinderella’s Closet Event

The Junior League of Kane & DuPage Counties, Inc. (JLKD) is seeking new and gently used dresses, jewelry and other formalwear items for its 6th annual Cinderella’s Closet, a one-day-only boutique where financially-challenged high school junior and senior girls can “shop” for dresses, jewelry, purses... pretty much anything they might need for prom – all FREE OF CHARGE!

“Every young woman deserves to feel like a princess at her prom but, for many, the intense peer-pressure and rising costs of prom-related items have made it financially prohibitive,” explains JLKD President Jeni Kahley of Geneva. “With Cinderella’s Closet, our hope is to alleviate some of the financial stress that goes along with prom so that no girl has to miss out on this extra special occasion.”

At Cinderella’s Closet, girls are greeted by volunteer "Fairy Godmothers" who serve as their personal shoppers as they select from among thousands of beautiful dresses - all current styles, many new with tags, in sizes ranging from petites to plus sizes. Once each girl has found her dream dress, she can then “shop” for jewelry and other accessories to make her outfit complete. To build up inventory for this year’s event, the JLKD will be holding a dress and accessory drive during the month of March at locations throughout DuPage, Kane and Will counties. Items being sought include:

• Prom-style dresses of all sizes – especially newer, updated styles
• Jewelry/accessories
• Evening wraps
• Purses
• Hair accessories

All donations are tax deductible and may be dropped off at any of the following locations through Friday, March 26th:

Elburn:

• Elburn Town & Country Library - 320 E. North Elburn

Elmhurst:

• Salon 360 - 350 N. York Street

Geneva:

• Geneva Chamber of Commerce - 8 S. Third Street

Lisle:

• Heritage Harley Davidson - 2595 Ogden Avenue

Naperville:

• Alfred Rubin Riverwalk Community Center/Naperville Park District - 305 Jackson Avenue
• Baubles by Maclyn - 26 W. Jefferson
• Northern Trust - 401 S. Main Street
• Fry YMCA - 2120 W. 95th Street
• Kroehler YMCA - 34 S. Washington Street

Oswego:

• Oswego YMCA - 160 E. Washington Street

Palatine:

• City Limits Harley Davidson - 2200 North Rand Road

St. Charles:

• Zylstra Harley Davidson - 131 Randall Road

Villa Park:

• Wild Fire Harley Davidson - 120 West North Avenue

Woodridge:

• Woodridge Park District - 2600 Center Drive

“We are continually touched by the support we receive each year from individuals and businesses throughout the western suburbs that have developed a special affinity for Cinderella’s Closet,” adds Kahley. “It is thanks to this amazing generosity that we are able to make a difference in the lives of so many young women through this project.”

The 6th Annual “Cinderella’s Closet” event will be held Saturday, April 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Fred Rodgers Community Center (formerly Aurora Community Center) located at 501 College Avenue in Aurora. For more information about Cinderella’s Closet, visit www.jlkd.org. If you are interested in hosting a dress drive or making a donation, email CinderellasCloset@jlkd.org. If you would like to volunteer for the 2010 event, please email cc.volunteers@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.