Graduation gowns and suits now fill an empty bay at a commercial building in Brooks, Alta.
“It’s a sign of the times. It was an oilfield bay and it is open and it is available and at least now it’s getting put to good use,” Byron Smith, with Smith Group Holdings, said.
The company donated the space to the Brooks Elks Gowns for Grads Program; a place where Grade 12 students can come and get outfitted for free or by donation.
“With the economy downfall this year, I was talking to single moms and different parents about grad year coming and they expressed the concern about the expense of it,” Kelly Sanford said.
“The Brooks Elks saw a void in the community that we were able to fill.”
There are 250 dresses to choose from and many are brand new with the tags still on them.
So far, 60 have found new homes with graduates in Brooks, and now the Elks are expanding the program to all southern Alberta graduates.
“We are open Monday and Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. If you are willing to travel to us, we are willing to help you out.”
Grads from any community are encouraged to come check out the dresses, which come in almost every size, style and colour.
About half the dresses were donated by Brooks residents, a gesture Mayor Barry Morishita says is a common theme in the community.
“A lot of them felt there was much more value in giving it away… That just speaks to the people that live here.”
There are also accessories available to go along with the dresses, but Sanford added they are still looking for more suits for the guys.
Kathy Irwin runs the Grasslands Innovation Program in Brooks and said the Elks are making a huge difference for families and young graduates in the region. She said it’s not just a glitzy dress for the big day, but a way of lifting the weight off families’ shoulders at a time that can be both exciting and stressful.
“This is just another way of making everyone feel belonged, feel that they can do what they need to do on their graduation day and it’s not going to put them out a whole bunch or their parents aren’t going to have to say, ‘Sorry honey, we can’t afford it, so you can’t go.’
“It’s an important milestone in their lives.”
Organizers hope with just the right outfit, students will be stepping into their next chapter dressed for success.
Comments