Charlottetown bridal shop collecting prom dresses for Fort McMurray students

The owner of The Wedding Place in Charlottetown is working to ensure Grade 12 students from Fort McMurray can still have a prom to remember.

Tracey Dooley said she plans to donate 50 of her store's prom dresses to Alberta. She's also put out the call to Islanders to donate their used dresses.

"We heard there was a major need for prom dresses," said Dooley. "Some girls lost them in the fire in Fort McMurray. And some haven't lost them but may have left them behind and haven't been able to get back and will not be able to get back in time."

Dooley said there are 800 Grade 12 girls from Fort McMurray who'll be graduating and attending prom at high schools in other Alberta communities.

Well, if we can do that for the girls in Alberta, then yes....Alberta is our own.- Tracey Dooley

By Thursday morning, 50 people had dropped off dresses at her Charlottetown store.

Another 20 have donated ones at her other bridal shop in Dartmouth, N.S. 

'800 girls in need'

"We still need a lot because there's 800 girls in need, and you really need a couple dresses for each girl because with sizing, it'll take a lot to meet the demand," said Dooley.

It's a demand Islander Kaitlyn Brocklebank was quick to respond to, and she donated the dress she wore to her own prom in 2013.

"I enjoyed my prom so much and loved getting dressed up and everything," said Brocklebank. "So, to hear there were girls that lost their dresses and maybe wouldn't have the chance to do that like I did, I thought I'd give them that chance."

Dooley said she and her staff plan to clean all the dresses and do any necessary repairs before shipping the first load to Alberta next week.

Free shipping offered

Dooley said a local courier company has offered free shipping.

Arrangements have been made to deliver the dresses to a volunteer group in Edmonton that is collecting and distributing the dresses to schools.

"You know, somebody said, 'they need water, they need toothbrushes, don't worry about dresses,'" said Dooley.

"But for us, the big thing is, when we put a dress on a girl and she loves it, and it brings her to tears over how wonderful it makes her feel. Well, if we can do that for the girls in Alberta, then yes ... Alberta is our own. It's part of Canada, and we figured this was a little piece we could do."

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