Spryfield community group puts call out for prom dress donations after flooding hits office

HALIFAX – A community group in Spryfield is renewing their call for prom dress donations after flood waters damaged some of their collection this week.

Staff were busy cleaning up and surveying the damage at the organization’s Herring Cove Road office on Tuesday morning.

Executive Director Bonnie Ste-Croix said the building’s landlord called on Monday to say water had seeped in from melting snow at the back of the property.

“We got out here and were expecting maybe a little bit of water and we were just overwhelmed with the amount of water and how widespread it was,” she said. “It hit almost every room in our space.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We got out here and were expecting maybe a little bit of water and we were just overwhelmed with the amount of water and how widespread it was," she said. "It hit almost every room in our space."

Among the water-soaked furniture, files and teaching supplies, were dozens of donated prom dresses.

The organization runs Pathways to Education, a program that offers after-school tutoring to try and raise high school graduation rates in the community. As part of the program, they have been collecting donated dresses from businesses and individuals to help graduates have a fun prom.

READ MORE: Spryfield community program celebrates first high-school graduating class

There is an estimated 60 students from the program who are set to graduate from Grade 12 and about 80 set to graduate from Grade 9.

The program had recently received three boxes of dresses from a local store before the flooding hit.

“The strange bit of luck that we had was that we ran out of hangers and we put ones that we couldn’t fit on the rack on the tables and those were saved,” Ste-Croix said.

On their Facebook page, Chebucto Connections has posted a video of the flood damage and put out a call for more donations.

This year, they were hoping to extend the offer of prom dresses to any student at nearby J.L. Ilsley High School who would benefit from a prom dress. They’re also collecting suits for the male students.

Financial donations can be made online and prom dresses, gowns and suits can be dropped off at their office at 531 Herring Cove Rd.

Ste-Croix was on the phone with their insurance company on Tuesday, but said it didn’t appear insurance would cover any of the damage. The office will likely need repairs to its walls and flooring.