Editor's note: This story is part of Southwest Michigan's Second Wave's On the Ground Kalamazoo series.

KALAMAZOO, MI — Imagine dresses lined from wall to wall, hands intimately tucking the garments onto clothing racks without an inch to spare. Organized in rainbow order, with the occasional hint of sparkles and floral patterns, the bounty of gowns leaves teenagers in awe as they slowly enter the room. The awe turns to joy, then to curiosity: Will they find “the one”? 

Women in pink aprons, looking like fairy godmothers, rapidly shuffle across the concrete floor with multiple dresses in hand — all at the service of the hopeful teens. Is this a dream or just true princess treatment that every teenager deserves? 

The Cinderella Project of Kalamazoo is an annual one-day dress giveaway event open to any high school student in need of a prom dress, regardless of financial restrictions or geographic location. Sponsored by Memories Bridal and Evening Wear, the Junior League of Kalamazoo, and the Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan, the project was founded in 2007 and has been serving teenagers with their fashion dreams ever since. 

Memories was founded in 2006 by Adrienne Wissner, who has always loved giving back to the community since her business opened in downtown Kalamazoo. “Working with young women and dresses every day,” she says, “you understand how important it is to feel self-confident.” This vision sparked the idea for The Cinderella Project, emphasizing how powerful a good dress can be. Regardless of financial constraints or other obstacles, Wissner wants young individuals to feel empowered and have the ability to attend prom. “Everyone should feel like a princess once in their life,” she says. 

To supply dresses for nearly 200 students from over 60 high schools, a deliberate plan is necessary for this purely volunteer-run organization. Volunteer Lesley Lankard has been a part of The Cinderella Project for 11 years now, and recounts the day it first began for her. At the time, Lankard was an employee at the Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan in Kalamazoo and reached out to Wissner since she thought the project could benefit from being held in a larger space. “I met with her and here we are!” says Lankard. 

The Cinderella Project takes place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on March 28 at the Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan Program and Training Center.Similarly, volunteer Sam Everts has dedicated her time for nine years now to The Cinderella Project. At the time, Everts was working an hourly job and took off unpaid time just to volunteer, demonstrating her love for the mission. “It’s just such a unique opportunity to give back to younger generations,” Everts says, “there’s nothing like that joy watching your philanthropic efforts happen in real-time.” In her time as a personal shopper, Everts has only had two teenagers walk away without a dress, and one of them tried again and found her dress. “It’s not a bad ratio to have!” Everts exclaims. 

While the giveaway event occurs on just one day, The Cinderella Project accepts gently loved donations year-round to be put in storage for the next coming event. The project typically receives 1200 to 1500 garments, entailing hours of sorting, all so the high schoolers can be offered a variety of beautiful choices. 

The big day begins long before the crowds even arrive to set up the venue in the Girl Scouts building. Garments are lined up on racks by color and size, zero to thirty, throughout the whole space with numerous makeshift pipe and drape fitting rooms on the perimeter, mimicking a store.
 
When the event begins at 11 a.m., the high schoolers first check-in and meet their fairy godmother, also known as a personal shopper. The goal of the personal shopper, one of the biggest volunteer roles, is to guide each person through their dress shopping and hopefully alleviate some of the stress that comes with trying on and choosing. Similarly, volunteer seamstresses are on-site to make minor alterations after a dress is picked. “It’s our goal to have everyone leave with a dress day of,” Lankard says. 

Once the dress is finalized, the teenager can venture to the variety of donated accessories to complete their look. Eventually, they will be guided to the last group of volunteers helping them place their dresses in a long protective bag, accompanied by a coupon for Paris Cleaners and Laundry of Kalamazoo. “Shopping can be a great yet stressful experience,” Lankard says, “and we try to make it as positive as possible.” Final touches such as accessories or a clean garment can be the icing on the cake for this already extraordinary experience. 

Students and parents have shared their positive opinions and thoughts about the project as well. “I could have just cried. The best part was the alterations they were able to do while you wait…They added straps to my daughter’s dress! She felt so beautiful!” the anonymous message reads. Despite uncertainties experienced prior, families have been welcomed with open arms to The Cinderella Project, according to reviews.

Since its start in 2007, The Cinderella Project has experienced tremendous changes. Before, the project was confined to the intimate space of Memories by invitation only through nominations of local schools or community organizations. When the Girl Scouts generously offered their building, the project was still based on a first-come, first-served basis, leading to lines of three to four hours. 

The Cinderella Project takes place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on March 28 at the Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan Program and Training Center.Wissner did not want to risk a quality experience and eventually required the high schoolers to sign up for an appointment in advance. While the appointment is necessary, there is no proof of financial situation, or geographic location necessary. The teenagers only need to be enrolled in high school. “You see all walks of life come through that door,” Everts says, “but seeing the excitement regardless is unparalleled.” 

Today, The Cinderella Project can serve a larger population regardless of barriers. Similarly, the event is open to all individuals wanting a dress and is focused on using gender-neutral language. While there are only dresses, no suits, the variety of garments is promising for everyone to find “the one” for them. 

In a space as uplifting as The Cinderella Project, everyone has their memorable moments. Wissner says that her favorite part is the moms. A lot of them come in shopping for their daughters, but sometimes it means more to them because they may have been in a situation where they could not attend prom at a younger age. “It’s special seeing how excited they get, it’s heartwarming,” Wisser states. Lankard says she feels the experience as a whole is something remarkable, “I love it, the energy is just great,” she says. 

For the future of The Cinderella Project and Memories, their mission of serving as many high school students as possible will always remain at the forefront. Logistically, Lankard says that they would be open to a volunteer photographer as a way to spread images and awareness about the event. “We have pretty much achieved what we want in terms of the business, but we are always open to any new ways to serve more students,” she says. Additionally, their website states that they always seek more plus-size donations. 

The Cinderella Project’s website is accepting appointment reservations for the 2025 prom season. This year, the event will take place on Friday, March 28 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan Program and Training Center in Kalamazoo “I would love to continue serving the community,” Wissner says, “so no one misses out on making memories.”