A fashion parade to help vulnerable young people attend their year 12 formal will be held this weekend.
The event has been planned by Beenleigh’s Tammy Robinson, who runs a charity that donates formal wear to students who can’t afford it, and the Bethania Community Centre director, Ashleigh Hassell.
The pair have known each other for several years, working together on small projects or at community market stalls.
Ms Robinson’s charity, Formally Ever After, gifts new and second-hand dresses and formal wear donated by locals to people all over Queensland who need it so they can attend events.
Ms Robinson will fit the dresses and even help her clients get ready on their big nights.
“Tammy makes them feel comfortable and welcomed, and they always leave with a beautiful dress and a smile on their face,” Ms Hassell said.
“Everyone loves the idea, and they want to model or they want to participate in some way to help.”
Ms Hassell said she pitched the idea of a fashion parade to showcase the Formally Ever After dresses and raise awareness for the cause at the community centre.
“We have a lot of volunteers at the centre who said they would like to model for the organisation, so we started coordinating a fashion show for the formal dresses.
“We’ve expanded it out to the community, and we’ve received a massive positive response.”
Market stalls at the entrance of the community centre will be open for business, as will the canteen.
Ms Hassell said neither the community centre nor Formally Ever After are requesting cash donations for the event. Instead, they ask members of the public to look through their wardrobes and donate any formal attire they don’t need or wear to the cause.
“If you have a formal dress you’d like to donate, bring it with you on the day for Tammy to take home.”
Formally Ever After’s fashion parade will be held at the Bethania Community Centre from 10am to 12pm on Saturday, 16 August.
