At the end of the day, the women gather and talk about the “Cinderella moments.”
The times they saw a young lady’s face light up or tear up, and these moments are the reason they have worked tirelessly for the last five years.
They are the organizers behind You Wear it Well, which they formed as a way to make sure underprivileged New Westminster graduates – both male and female – feel, and look, their best on one of the biggest days of their young lives.
Each year, Darcey Sudeyko, Barb Henderson, Kathy Wilson, Cindy Carlson, Joanne Lapp and Lynn Lenaghan, set up a day for the graduates to come to a boutique-like space, where they try on dresses, get their hair and make-up done, eat, relax and generally get spoiled. The day even involves having a keepsake picture taken by a professional photographer.
The point of the day (being held this year in April) is to make the young people feel special – to reward them for making it to graduation.
Instead of worrying about price tags, they are encouraged to enjoy the pampering. It’s something students whose families struggle to make ends meet for the basics wouldn’t have the chance to do without You Wear it Well.
And Wilson sees first-hand what the day means to the students. One particularly striking Cinderella moment she saw was when a young woman asked when she was supposed to bring back the grad dress and the jewelry she was trying on.
“And we say, ‘No, you get to keep it all,’” Wilson recalls. “And that’s a big thing – they realize that this is all for them.”
A thank-you letter from one graduate sums up what the day meant to her.
“My favourite part was getting my hair and makeup done. It was my very first time getting it done, and I felt so special,” she wrote.
Wilson estimates they have helped more than 100 New Westminster grads from low-income families.
Organizers connect with the students through staff at New Westminster Secondary School and two alternate schools, Sigma and POWER.
They are always on the hunt for gently used graduation gowns.
During the day itself (held this year at Urban Academy, a private school situated in a Queen’s Park heritage home) students arrive at specific times. They come with a guest and start by looking for a dress, shoes, jewelry and handbag. Then it’s onto hair and makeup, and then they have a photo taken to commemorate the day.
There is even a seamstress on hand to do minor alterations.
As for the guys, they can opt to rent a tux (at no cost to them). There are also suits available for the young men, which they can take home, Wilson says.
Those who want to help can do so through a donation to the Royal City Education Foundation, 1001 Columbia St., second floor, New Westminster, B.C., V3M-1C4. Income tax receipts will be issued through the education foundation. For more information, call Wilson at 778-231-7184 or email [email protected].
