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New West grads getting set for Boutique Day

Donations and services still needed to make the day a success for students
You Wear it well
Kathy Wilson and Barb Henderson, from left, are two of the founders of You Wear it Well … Just for Grads, a local group that’s helped outfit local teens for grad.This year's Boutique Day is coming up and volunteers and donations are still needed.

You Wear it Well – Just for Grads is hard at work on plans to make grad memorable for members of the Class of 2017 – and could use a little help.

For the past few years, the non-profit has been collecting formal wear and accessories and outfitting students who may otherwise be unable to attend their graduation celebrations because of finances. At the March 5 Boutique Day, grads will shop for an outfit, get their hair and makeup done, have their photos taken, enjoy some good eats, get pampered and head home with a swag bag of toiletries and personal items.

Darcey Sudeyko, one of the founders of You Wear It Well, said the group is in need of some services and donations to make the March 5 event a success, including: makeup artists (who would be available from about 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and have their own supplies); toiletry and personal items for the swag bags that each student receives; a corporate sponsor for food items for the buffet; and seamstresses (who would also be needed from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and have their own sewing machine) to do simple alterations such as straps and hems.

In addition to outfitting New Westminster students for grad, You Wear It Well has taken over the work previously done by the Princess Project in Surrey, where there are a lot of kids and a huge need for help with grad. That program closed down last year, meaning Surrey students may have had to miss out on grad if they couldn’t afford costly attire.

But taking on the Surrey program also gives You Wear it Well organizers a reason to carry on, as they were considering folding the program in New Westminster.

“Last year we only had three kids show up. There was not a lot of support and it was really not working. We were looking to get someone to take over and that wasn’t really working well either,” Sudeyko said. “We have got 65 kids registered for this coming Boutique Day. Most are from Surrey. There’s a few from New Westminster.”

Anyone wishing to help can contact Kathy at 778-231-7184 or contact the group through the You Wear it Well page on Facebook.