'I Helped Cinderella Get to the Ball'

Finding the perfect dress and accessories for prom can be a stressful situation for young girls and expensive.

Thanks to the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers Division's Cinderella Project, girls in the Midlands had a chance to "shop" for dresses, shoes, jewelry and other accessories for free. 

All they needed was a school ID. 

"Dress shopping is really expensive and being a senior, I have a lot to pay for," said Kaline Cardoso, an 18-year-old Dreher High School senior. "I can get the same kind of dress here (without) spending $300 on a dress to only wear one time."

The event, which was co-sponsored by the Upsilon Omega Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., was held at the University of South Carolina School of Law on Saturday. 

At least 1,000 high school girls filled the law school's auditorium to search through racks of more than 1,000 dresses, all of which were donated from the community. 

Those attending the event had a chance to enter a raffle to win door prizes that included makeup, jewelry, and gift certificates to local shops and restaurants. 

The Cinderella Project started 10 years ago by an attorney who saw the same project on an episode of Oprah and thought it was something they could do in South Carolina.

“There’s a huge need,” said Michelle Kelley, chair of the Cinderella Project. “These girls are so sweet and they deserve the dresses.”

“This economy is rough and their parents can’t always provide it,” Kelley said. “It’s also smart because these are dresses that people buy and wear only one or two times so why wouldn’t we pass it on?”

“There’s no economic qualification and I don’t think there should be. We should be passing these dresses on. It is exciting to make sure every girl in Columbia has an opportunity to look like a princess."

For Kimberly Clarke, a 17-year-old student from Dreher High School, the Cinderella Project Boutique has proven to be a success when finding dresses.

This is the second year Clarke has visited the boutique. 

"I think it's good because not a lot of teens can go out and get dresses that are really pretty," Clarke said. "If they didn't put this on a lot of girls probably wouldn't want to go to prom if they don't have THE dress or THE accessories."

Being able to help provide a girl everything she needs for prom for free is why members of the Upsilon Omega Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Soroity, Inc. in Irmo said they wanted to co-sponsor the event. 

"We are all about service to the community and helping young ladies get ready for the prom, especially young ladies who may not be able to go because of financial reasons, is one of the reasons why our chapter decided to do this," said Ruby Edwards, an Upsilon Omega Omega member. "It's something that's very dear to our hearts."

"It's a lot of work but it's one of the most fantastic things to see," Edwards said. 

First-time shopper Aimee Gutkencht, 17, was a little skeptical about finding a dress.

After trying on four dresses, Gutkencht found not only a dress but shoes and a handbag to complete her look.

"I was coming in here with the idea that there wasn't going to be that much variety because I'm a bigger size," said Gutkencht, a senior at White Knoll High School. "I (thought) I might find something but when I came in here they had a lot of stuff."

"I was really surprised. I thought maybe there would be a few dresses but they have a lot of jewelry and a lot of shoes to chose from."

Gutkencht said she didn't have the best experience searching for a dress at local department stores but her trip to the Cinderella Project Boutique changed all of that.