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Operation Fairy Godmother
Once a year, every girl’s dream of the perfect prom dress can come true. Be part
of the magic!
For many girls’ families, buying a dress for the prom is so far out of reach it
would take a fairy godmother to make it happen. That’s where Operation Fairy
Godmother comes in.
This ambitious project, started by the Vancouver School District Foundation in
2003, pairs Clark County high school girls with the dress of their dreams for a
fraction of the cost. Over the past four years, thousands of girls throughout
Clark County have found formal and semiformal dresses at the Operation Fairy
Godmother dress event.
Every Clark County high school girl is welcome to attend the Fairy Godmother
event and purchase the dress of her dreams for only $10. Any girl who donates a
dress at her school collection will receive an exchange certificate to choose a
dress at the March event at no cost. In addition, each Clark County high school
principal is issued a number of dress vouchers to distribute to girls who may
not have a dress to donate or the money to purchase one.
Plans are underway to make the 2008 event, scheduled for March 15 at
Westfield Vancouver Mall the biggest year yet.
Community members are urged to bring their gently used gowns, shoes and
accessories to any of the following collection sites before March 7, 2008. All
donations are tax deductible.
| Columbia Credit Union Branch Locations Nordstrom/BP Department Westfield Vancouver Mall Lily Atelier 311 NE Birch St. Camas |
Hostess House/Bridal Arts 10017 NE 6th Ave. Spanky's East side: 13503 SE Mill Plain Blvd. Jim Parsley Community Center 4100 Plomondon St. |
No dress to donate but you would like to contribute to the project?
Select a tag from the Dress of Dreams located at Westfield Vancouver Mall, and
purchase a new prom-related item for a local girl. See mall concierge for more
information.
Monetary contributions also are accepted. Funds received will be used to
purchase dresses in large and small sizes. Checks can be mailed to: Vancouver
School District Foundation, OFG, PO Box 6039, Vancouver, WA, 98668.
For more information, contact Jan Redding, VSD Foundation Assistant Director,
(360) 313-4722 (Return to Top)
History of Operation Fairy Godmother
In 2002, the Vancouver School District Foundation created Operation Fairy
Godmother, an ambitious project to help insure that all girls enrolled in our
high schools would have the opportunity to attend their high school prom looking
their best. The mission of the Vancouver School District Foundation is to bring
together the resources of the community to supplement and enhance student
achievement. The Foundation exists to assure that the basic needs of students
are met. Operation Fairy Godmother clearly supports the mission of the
Foundation by making high school prom affordable for all girls.
In its first year, Operation Fairy Godmother collected over 500 new and gently
used but-still-in-style formal and semi-formal dresses. Gowns were displayed at
a day long “shopping” event. Due to the uncertainty of the number of dresses
that would be donated that first year, the event was limited to girls who
attended Vancouver School District high schools. Since 2003, due to the
overwhelming success of the project, the Foundation now welcomes any girl who
attends a Clark County high school to shop for the dress of her dreams at the
annual spring event.
Each February, the Foundation coordinates a community wide gown collection
campaign including a collection at each participating Clark County high school.
Any girl who donates a dress at her school collection will receive an exchange
certificate to choose a dress at the March event at no cost. Dresses may also be
purchased for $10 each. In addition, each participating high school is issued a
number of dress vouchers to distribute to girls who may not have a dress to
donate or the money to purchase one. All dresses, whether they are exchanged,
purchased with cash or with a voucher, are limited to one per customer.
In 2006, over 1,500 gowns were collected, dry cleaned and displayed for girls to
choose from at the day long event just in time for prom season. Shoes,
accessories and jewelry were available for girls to purchase for a small cost.
In addition to the nearly 100 prom related door prizes that were donated by
local businesses, complimentary hair styling, mini make-overs and professional
photography were all part of the day long experience for the girls.
Planning is well underway that will make this year’s event bigger and better
than ever before! (Return to Top)
Monetary contributions to the Fairy Godmother project are also
being accepted. Funds received will be used to purchase dresses in large and
small sizes. Checks can be mailed to:
Vancouver School District Foundation, OFG
PO Box 6039
Vancouver, WA 98668
360-313-4730
All donations are tax-deductible
