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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

High school grad gown program a success

St. John's hopes for many more donations

By: Nick Martin

Posted: 02/10/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

THE gowns are exquisite, the purses and the shoes are so in-style -- a lot of young women are going to be pretty happy at safe grad night this June.St. John's High School began a campaign last year to collect gently used graduation and bridesmaid gowns for Grade 12 students unable to afford a grad dress.

The school collected 1,000 gowns, St. John's principal Linda Bulka said. "The gowns are absolutely exquisite."

And not just dresses. "The shoes, the purses -- we just had a huge donation of shoes."

St. John's High hopes to add 500 gowns to the collection this year, Bulka said.

"We're starting the gown drop-off this week," she said. On Friday and Saturday at Mardi Gras at the Winnipeg Convention Centre, anyone bringing a gown donation will get in free.

The dresses are dry cleaned at no cost by Dollar Wise Quality Cleaners.

Bulka said that many of the grads come from the inner city, but there are already requests for gowns arriving from other parts of Winnipeg and the Interlake.

"They have to go through their guidance counsellor" to ensure that the gowns go to students in need, Bulka said.

Grade 12 students wore more than 400 of the gowns last June, and about 60 per cent of the young women returned their gowns so other young women can use them. Some of those grads are returning this year to volunteer at the Gown Boutique April 28 and 29 at the Winnipeg Convention Centre when students can choose their gowns.

Bulka said gown donations can also be made at the six Dollar Wise Quality Cleaner locations and at St. John's High School, at 401 Church Ave. at the corner of Salter Street.

Anyone who still has a grad dress from last year can also drop it off, she said.

St. John's provides some help for its male Grade 12 students to prepare for grad, Bulka said. But because young men of all financial circumstances go to grad in a wide range of clothing and styles, the school is focusing on making grad a special night for young women.

For every dress donated to the program, a ballot can be entered for a chance to win prizes, including a pair of diamond earrings donated by a local Winnipeg jeweller.

More information is available at www.gownsforgrads.org.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 10, 2010 B2

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