Prom Dresses Wanted

Project helps underprivileged girls
look good for their proms.

JOYCE WISWELL SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

D

important that this is just not for tiny
ani Lutz’s junior prom is
girls,” she added. “One of the reasons
more than a year away, but
I feel a strong connection to the
that doesn’t keep her from
daydreaming about what she’ll wear. Princess Project is that they celebrate
teens all across the board in every
“When I’m at a store that sells
shape and size.”
those kinds of dresses, I look a little
Said Beth, “Nothing screams
bit,” admitted the sophomore
ABOVE:
confidence like wearing some-
at Groves High School in
Beverly Hills. “I am excited for Dani Lutz and thing beautiful.”
some of the
The Princess Project has
next year. Prom is something
everyone should experience.” dresses she’s helped more than 25,000 girls
collected .
over the years, said board mem-
But not everyone can
ber Kira Keating, and the give-
afford the dress, shoes and
aways are exciting events.
accessories that the formal event
“It’s amazing. The girls are
mandates. So Dani has joined forces
matched up with a volunteer who
with the Princess Project to, as she
helps them pick out different dresses
puts it, “change people’s lives one
to try on. Once they decide on a
dress at a time.”
dress, they get moved over to the
The organization has five sites in
accessories area, where they get to
California where girls can shop for
pick one item like shoes or jewelry,”
a prom dress and accessories com-
Keating said.
pletely free of charge. When Dani
“But what I like best is that it’s
heard about it last year, “I knew
almost like a mini mentorship,” she
it was a good fit for me,” said the
added. “These girls are at such a piv-
15-year-old Birmingham resident. “I
otal time in their lives, and they are
love getting dressed up.”
always asking questions about where
She spread the word through stu-
I went to college and my career.”
dent council, Facebook, Instagram
Donated items should be very
and friends of friends, and mom
dressy, new or nearly new in perfect
Beth Lutz has been a big help. Last
condition, be in style (no cheesy
year, mother and daughter amassed
bridesmaid dress from your cousin’s
about 75 items, mostly dresses but
long-ago wedding) and be dry-
also fancy wraps, purses and other
cleaned and on a hanger.
accessories, spent a few hundred
“They should be fancy party
dollars on postage, and shipped
them off to California. This year they dresses from proms, homecoming,
have already surpassed that amount. weddings or bat mitzvahs,” explained
“It felt really good to help all those Dani, who herself donated the brides-
maid’s dress she wore in a recent
girls,” said Dani, who is active in
family wedding, calling it “actually
ORT and likes to play tennis, golf
not a terrible dress.”
and ski. “I got pictures of some girls
The Lutz family is accepting dona-
with the dresses with the tag show-
tions through March 15. Call Beth
ing that I donated it, and that was
Lutz at (248) 505-7404 or email
really nice.”
freelutz@me.com to donate. The
It’s fun to see what sorts of dona-
Princess Project accepts dona-
tions come in, Dani said. “We are
definitely getting dresses we want to tions year-round at P.O. Box 471045,
San Francisco, CA 94147. Visit
keep,” she said with a laugh.
PrincessProject.org. •
“We want all sizes, and it’s really

jn

March 9 • 2017

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