SALT LAKE CITY – Teens across the country will have the opportunity to attend formal dances at school, and a local non-profit is helping teens attend the event in style without breaking the bank.
Alaina Ollerton is the president of All Doll’d Up, which is a group that takes donated formal gowns and then sells them at a fraction of the cost of a new dress.
"The dress is one of the biggest decisions you'll make when it comes to prom,” she said. "It'll just define how you even walk into the hall, so if you feel good, you look good, you're going to have a good time."
A new gown can cost several hundred dollars to more than $1,000, but the organization offers a more affordable option.
"The girls are actually very willing to give me their hundred-dollar dresses, and we sell them anywhere between $10 and $70, so that dress that you're going to get for four or five hundred dollars, you can get from us for $70, and it’s been worn once,” Ollerton said.
Not only does the group offer the dresses at a discount, but they also donate 50 percent of the proceeds to charity, either at the Utah Food Bank, the Ronald McDonald House, or the Boys and Girls Club of South Valley.
Connie Day has two daughters and said in previous years she spent $200 to $400 on a gown and would buy several such dresses each year. She said All Doll’d Up is a win-win.
"The girls have really nice dresses to wear for those special events, and it doesn't break us financially, and the donation goes for charity too, so it's a win-win every way,” she said.
For more information about donating a dress, buying a dress or sponsoring a student, visit the organization’s website.
