Do you have formal dresses or men’s formal attire you no longer need? The team at Maggie’s & More has a solution that will help you clean out the clutter and can help a local young person have a magical prom, homecoming, or winter ball. And if that weren’t already inspiring enough, your donations will also help support the ongoing mission at Maggie’s & More, providing employment, purpose, and opportunities for community engagement for differently-abled adults in your community. Items accepted include dresses of any length, shoes and accessories and men’s formal wear, as well.
Lauren Stoots, Aktion Club leader at Maggie’s & More noted, “We call this event ‘Formal Labels to Benefit the Differently Abled’.” She continued, “The first part of the event will first be a ‘soft-opening’ to host local students in need, giving them the opportunity to ‘shop’ at no cost for school dances including Homecoming, Winter Ball, and Prom.” Stoots continued, “We’re also making formalwear grab bags for them with jewelry, nail supplies, hair accessories, and makeup, to help them prepare for their special event. The cost-free shopping event will provide students a stress-free opportunity to select the dress of their choice with the help of Maggie’s staff and Board members. They’ll also be treated to food and beverages courtesy of the Maggie’s team at this invitation-only event,” Stoots noted.
She went on to explain that the second part of the sale is a public event at Maggie’s, which takes place on February 17, 18, 24, and 25 from 10 am until 4 pm. At these public events, any student is welcome to come and shop for dresses and/or accessories. “This part is a win for everyone,” Stoots explained, “because we are helping girls get nice formalwear at a discount price while fundraising to continue our mission.” She noted that most dresses will be a flat fee of $25, with floor-length formals at a cost of $50. In addition, everyone who donates receives a coupon for $10 off a purchase of $50 or more. As Stoots noted, all proceeds will support Maggie’s & More in making a positive impact in the community.
“Our mission at Maggie’s is unique,” Stoots explained. Maggie’s founder, special needs teacher Abra Schweickert recognized that upon graduation, many differently abled individuals don’t have opportunities to interact and find connections within their community. Schweickert and her family founded Maggie’s & More to provide job opportunities and purpose to these individuals. But more than that, they wanted to give them the opportunity to contribute to and support local community efforts. Through a partnership with the Rotary Club, Maggie’s has created the Aktion Club at Maggie’s. Through this service club, the Maggie’s team helps support local events like Breakfast With Santa, and creates items to sell, fundraising for local organization or larger issues like childhood cancer. They also gather to attend CHS basketball games, have pizza parties, and forge bonds with each other and their community.
Last fall, the Maggie’s crew partnered with the Crestwood High School Cheerleaders to help them fundraise for the Cheer Squad’s trip to the Citrus Bowl in late December. “It really is inspiring how this event came together,” Stoots marveled. She explained that a few of the Crestwood cheerleading moms approached Maggie’s & More with an idea for the two groups to sell Maggie’s donuts at Red Devil home football games. “The donut sales were a resounding success,” Stoots added, “with over 500 donuts sold out before half-time.” More important, however, were the community connections that were made. “Our group loved being at the game and selling donuts. For some, it was their first opportunity to attend a community game.”
The success of that fundraiser sparked the cheerleading group with the idea to work with the Maggie’s team again to host this amazing gently-used formal sale, something we hope will become an annual event,” she added.
Donations can be dropped off at Crestwood High School, R44 Butcher, or Maggie’s & More now through February 4th. As a bonus, your donation will earn a $10 coupon off a $50 sale, which can be used on any of the public sales. Stoots noted, “The response so far has been amazing! We’ve already collected around 80 dresses and countless accessories for the events.” The Maggie’s team has been sorting and bagging jewelry and accessories in preparation for shoppers.
Even if you don’t have formalwear to donate, you can still support Maggie’s mission with a monetary donation. Just $20 provides a local student in need with a private shopping spree at Maggie’s boutique. Their evening will include their choice of formalwear, accessories, beverages, and Maggie’s donuts, of course. This special event will help ensure that all students who wish to can experience the magic of a school dance – a high school rite of passage, regardless of financial constraints. Payments can be made at Maggie’s & More or at Venmo (maggiesandmore).
All remaining items after the private and public events will be available to all, with proceeds funding the Maggie’s & More mission. For more information, visit Maggie’s & More in person, on Facebook, Instagram, or at maggiesandmore.com.
