Fairy godmothers of formal wear: Edmonton volunteers make prom dreams come true
Inside an Edmonton donation centre, Cinderella’s Closet is helping hundreds of students attend prom for free, offering dresses, dignity and unforgettable moments to teens who thought graduation celebrations were out of reach.
Annie Miller, Board Director/Founder (left) and Shae Bannard, Volunteer (right) Photo credit: Gaganjit Kaur
The dress racks at an Edmonton donation centre look like a sea of taffeta and tulle. Gowns in every colour, from emerald green and blush pink to royal blue hang shoulder to shoulder, waiting. A sequined gold number catches the light.
A simple white chiffon dress sways gently as someone walks by. A volunteer steams a crushed train, while another arranges jewelry on a display table. In a corner, a teenage girl stands in front of a mirror, turning slowly, her hand pressed to her chest.
She has found the one.
For more than a decade, Cinderella’s Closet has been helping Edmonton high school students attend prom by providing free formal wear, accessories and a personal shopping experience. Volunteers work one-on-one with each student, offering not just a dress but a moment of dignity and care.
With prom season arriving and many families struggling with rising costs, the charity has become an essential resource for students who might otherwise miss out. This year alone, the organization has already helped more than 300 students, according to founder Annie Miller.
“I have been involved since it started 26 years ago,” said Miller, one of the founders. “We’ve all either gone to school together since Grade 1 or Grade 2, or we’ve all worked together as flight attendants, teachers or nurses. Everybody is connected through each other.”
That connection is what makes the volunteer team feel like family. Shae Bannard, a volunteer of five years, heard about Cinderella’s Closet through Miller. “I like fashion, and I just love seeing the smiles on the girls’ faces when they leave,” Bannard said. “We cry almost every day and we get lots of hugs.”
Bannard spends several afternoons a week helping students navigate the racks. She curates a selection for students while they try on gowns, offers honest opinions and tries to keep the mood light. “We try to just be bubbly and more like grandmas,” she said. “‘We’ve seen it all. Don’t be shy.’”
The need for this is real. A new formal gown can cost $200 to $500 or more, not including shoes, jewellery and accessories. For families already stretched thin by rent, groceries, and utilities, prom can feel like an impossible luxury. Cinderella’s Closet removes that barrier entirely—everything is free, no questions asked.
“I didn’t think I was going to prom,” said Jasmine Singh, 18, who graduated last year from a high school in southeast Edmonton. “My mom works two jobs. I wasn’t going to ask her for a dress.”
Singh heard about Cinderella’s Closet from a guidance counsellor. She arrived with other students, nervous and expecting a crowded, chaotic giveaway. Instead, she was greeted by a volunteer who sat with her, asked about her favourite colours, and pulled dresses one by one.
“The third dress I tried on, I started crying,” Singh said. “It was lavender. It had these little beaded straps. And the volunteer, she didn’t rush me. She just said, ‘You look beautiful.’”
Singh wore the dress to her prom last June. She still has it hanging in her closet.
“Every time I look at it, I remember that feeling,” she said. “Like someone actually cared whether I got to have a nice night.”
“It wasn’t just about the dress,” she added. “It was someone taking time to make sure I felt special.”
Moments like that keep volunteers coming back. Bannard recalled one student who stood in front of the mirror and said, “I didn’t know I could be so beautiful.” Another time, a teacher returned and said, “None of these girls have mums. You were like fairy godmothers.”
Miller said the organization tries to welcome everyone, including students who wear hijabs, have special needs, or are transgender. “We really don’t turn anybody away,” she said. “We keep suits on hand for girls that want to be in men’s suits.”
The organization operates entirely on donations—gowns, suits, shoes, handbags and jewellery—collected year-round at drop-off locations across the city. During prom season, schools and counsellors schedule appointments for students to come in and find their fairytale formal wear. Cinderella’s Closet can also arrange for transportation for students who have no reliable way to get to the fittings.
On a recent weekday afternoon, a Grade 11 student emerged from a fitting room wearing a navy blue gown with a sequined bodice. She looked at herself in the mirror, then at the volunteer, and smiled. “This is the one,” she said. The volunteer nodded and handed her a pair of silver heels. “Let’s find you a bag to match,” she said. The girl laughed. It was a small, relieved sound that filled the room.
For students like Singh and the hundreds of others who have walked through the doors, Cinderella’s Closet offers more than free formal wear. It offers proof that they matter, that they deserve to have the same experience as other high schoolers going to prom and fit right in. As Bannard put it, “They have the right to feel special at grad. Income shouldn’t matter.” And that, volunteers say, is a gift that lasts long after the last dance ends.
