Zengeler collects more than 4,000 dresses to help Chicago’s Glass Slipper Project
When Cinderella went to the ball, she didn’t have a choice.
It was blue dress with a carefully-orchestrated sash and as a precursor to today’s impossibly tall heels — highly impractical glass slippers.
And Cinderella didn’t get to keep her ensemble.
That’s not the case for Chicago high schoolers who shop the Glass Slipper Project’s prom dress boutique.
Thanks to donors from all over the Chicago area, prom-going ladies have choices — cocktail, tea and full-length are only but a few. Shoes, jewelry and handbags are others.
The North Shore’s Zengeler Cleaners is in its 10th year playing fairy godmother to prom guests.
The chain has collected more than 4,000 formal dresses, retailing for more than $1.9 million dollars in 2012.
“Many of the dresses we receive are part of area high school service projects,” said Tom Zengeler, owner of the business that bears his name. “But it’s most surprising that people go out and buy new dresses for the cause. And we get donations from people in Florida and California.”
But many dresses arrive from all points around the Chicago area.
Elise Sherman of Gurnee heeded the fairy godmother call.
The Pioneer Press advertising customer service representative headed to Zengeler’s Libertyville location March 14. She had a bevy of eight dresses to donate on the behalf of her daughter, Erin Genc of Carpentersville.
“Other people were donating purses and makeup. I may go home and go through my things,” Sherman said. “I didn’t know I could donate more.”
But all the chiffon, lace and sequins caught her eye.
“There were so many choices,” she said. “These girls aren’t going to have any problems finding a dress.”
By Meg Moore
Originally published March 29, 2012 in Pioneer Press Newspapers
Reposted with permission