Young entrepreneur — Allyson Ahlstrom stands in front of racks of donated clothing at her temporary Threads for Teens store located at the intersection of Denbeste Court and Conde Lane. – Photo by Lynda Browning
Santa Rosa, CA, March 25th 2012—On March 31st, 2012, Threads for Teens and Prom Closet of Santa Rosa will be hosting Formal Fantasy, an event where prom dresses will be collected to give to under-privileged teen girls that reside within Sonoma, Marin, Lake, and Mendocino Counties. At this dress drop-off event, people can donate gently-used formal dresses, long or short, that a teen girl could wear to her prom. The event will take place at the Threads for Teens boutique from ten in the morning to one in the afternoon at 620 McClelland on the Windsor Town Green. Threads for Teens and Prom Closet of Santa Rosa will then distribute all collected dresses to girls in need at individual appointments during the month of April.
Threads for Teens was founded in January 2010 by then fourteen-year-old Allyson Ahlstrom with the goal of helping less fortunate teenage girls feel confident and hopeful by providing clothing, support, and education. Since the opening of the boutique, over one hundred fifty girls have been provided with new clothing from well-known brands, such as Tommy Hilfiger, Miss Me, American Eagle Outfitters, and Ugg Australia, with over $100,000 worth of clothing donations and $40,000 in cash donations. Prom Closet of Santa Rosa was founded in January 2011 by then fourteen-year-old Natalie Piazza, with the mission to provide prom dresses to girls in need. Since the inception, Natalie has collected over five hundred prom dresses to contribute to this endeavor.
At the Formal Fantasy event on March 31st at the Threads for Teens storefront located in Windsor, people that have dresses to donate will be able to come, drop the dress off, and receive several incentives for participating.
Various companies, foundations, and individuals have donated many formal dresses to this cause. Already, over seven hundred fifty dresses have been collected for the event. Threads for Teens and Prom Closet of Santa Rosa would like to serve five hundred girls, so more dresses are needed. Donations of hair, nail, and tanning salons gift certificates to provide to girls who receive a prom dress are also most helpful. Sponsorship of a prom dress is available for fifty dollars, which covers the cost to purchase one prom dress. For more information on the event and sponsorship options, please go to www.threadsforteens.com or contact Allyson Ahlstrom or allysonahlstrom@gmail.com.
