By Eileen Oldfield, Staff Writer
Robin Kimmelman’s basement is dressed to the nines or maybe more like 200.
That’s the number of donated dresses prom dresses, kid’s’ dresses, cocktail dresses and more that hang in the room for Project Graduation’s first Eveningwear Sale, scheduled Feb. 28.
”Luckily, Project Graduation runs a fashion show every year, and they use rolling racks,” Ms. Kimmelman said. “I’ve been able to acquire those rolling racks, and hung them up in my basement.”
”I called friends and neighbors, and other people on the Project Graduation Committee e-mailed people they knew,” she added. “I had one woman who just moved here donate a dress because she’d heard about it at church.”
The sale will be held in the Hillsborough High School Commons from noon to 4 p.m. Feb. 28, with the dresses priced between $10 and $50. The sale will accept only cash for payment, however, Ms. Kimmelman said.
Funds generated from the sale will contribute to this year’s Project Graduation, an all-night drug and alcohol-free event that follows graduation. Fundraisers held in 2008 and earlier this year raised $20,000 for the event; it is expected to cost approximately $50,000.
As an almost four-year member of the Project Graduation Committee, Ms. Kimmelman organized after hearing the sale a friend hosted.
”A friend of mine who lives outside Boston did a sale, and was very successful,” Ms. Kimmelman said. “I decided to try it here, and a lot of people said, ‘I have that long dress that’s hanging in my closet that I only wore once.’”
Donated dresses needed to be clean, a current style, and on a hanger in order to be donated, Ms. Kimmelman said. While many dresses were gently worn, she received several new dresses for the sale.
Many of the dresses come from well-known shops, including Cache, Lord & Taylor, David’s Bridal, Ann Taylor, and Limited Too, and well known designers, including Jessica McClintock, Zum Zum, Adrianna Papell and Jones New York.
Ms. Kimmelman stressed the sale is not limited to prom dresses, and dress sizes range from children’s frocks to women’s dresses.
According to Ms. Kimmelman, high school students are already excited for the sale, particularly for the donated prom dresses.
”I had a meeting with several of the high school girls, and they wanted to try them all and buy them,” Ms. Kimmelman said. “I said, ‘well, you have to wait for the sale.’”
For further information, or to donate a dress, contact Robin Kimmelman at [email protected] or 908-281-7843.
