Dress Drive at Cincinnati Museum Center helps create prom fairytale for local girls
CINCINNATI – Kenzie’s Closet recently wrapped up a successful five-day Dress Drive at Cincinnati Museum Center. From May 28 to June 1, visitors to Museum Center’s Diana, A Celebration exhibition donated 563 prom dresses, bridesmaid dresses and evening gowns, plus numbers of formal occasion purses.
The Dress Drive was an early start to replenishing Kenzie’s Closet’s stock after another successful prom season serving 400-plus referred students this year alone. The organization, founded by local woman Brynne Coletti in 2005, makes prom dreams come true for financially-disadvantaged young girls by outfitting them with a prom dress, shoes, a wrap and jewelry. In the last nine years, Kenzie’s Closet has impacted the lives of over 2,800 junior and senior high school girls. With the addition of the Dress Drive’s newly-donated 563 dresses, the organization is well on its way to helping hundreds more live their prom fairytales next year.
“Our goal is that no young girl in Cincinnati will not be able to attend their own high school prom because of their family’s financial challenges,” says Kathy Smith, executive director of Kenzie’s Closet. “Thanks to the outpouring of support and compassion from the community during this Dress Drive, we will be able to achieve that goal for so many more young ladies.”
Smith was excited about the donations themselves, but also remarked that the generosity of Cincinnati Museum Center in conceiving and hosting this special event has been a highlight for the many volunteers and supporters of Kenzie’s Closet. “Every point person at Museum Center has been exceptional, gracious and kind-hearted. We are more than grateful to Museum Center’s team for this opportunity and experience.”
The donated dresses and purses were collected at the exhibition Diana, A Celebration, a fitting location given Diana’s commitment to helping others around the world, particularly through displays of compassion and kindness. The Dress Drive also earned the donors, a new generation of philanthropists, a place next to the women featured in the Daughters of the Queen City. This companion gallery to Diana, A Celebration dedicated to female philanthropists throughout Cincinnati’s history who helped improve the lives of Cincinnatians past, present and future.
“As the Daughters of the Queen City gallery shows, the Cincinnati region has a rich history of philanthropic support,” says Elizabeth Pierce, vice president at Cincinnati Museum Center. “The response of the community to this Dress Drive shows that the spirit of compassion and philanthropy are alive and well in this city and continue to be demonstrated by future generations.”
The concept of Kenzie’s Closet began when Coletti learned that one of her daughter’s classmates could not attend prom because of financial issues. Coletti anonymously provided resources for the student to attend prom. That random act of kindness has since expanded into Kenzie’s Closet, an organization supported by girls and women who choose to donate their dresses rather than let them collect dust in their closets.
“We are so grateful to the many women who generously donated and helped support our organization and the hundreds of young girls whose lives they’ve touched,” says Smith. “This is such a wonderful example of the heart that the people of Cincinnati have and demonstrates again how anyone can make an impact in someone else’s life.”
Kenzie’s Closet accepts donations throughout the year. Anyone who was unable to donate during the Dress Drive can visit kenziescloset.org for more information on donating to the organization.
Diana, A Celebration, which chronicles the life of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, is closing soon at Cincinnati Museum Center. Enjoy extended evening hours with the exhibition open until 6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday and until 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Don’t miss this final showing for the renowned exhibition, which has been touring the world since 2003. Upon the exhibition’s return to England, the items will be returned to Princess Diana’s sons to be preserved for future generations
For more information, visit www.cincymuseum.org