It was recently announced the newly opened Canadian Museum for Human rights would be exhibiting the dress and story of a young lady from Georgia who held her state's first racially integrated prom night. While we may not struggle with these kinds of divisions at prom nights here in Winnipeg, the question of getting of being able to get a dress is one that does have an impact on who does and doesn't attend prom night at many of our city's high schools.

Gowns for Grads was founded at St. John's High School in 2009 when it was discovered that some students were not attending Grad because they did not have grad dresses. Since then, the volunteer intiative started by the Laura Milner White Committee has been collecting donated grad dresses and making sure as many young women as they can help are put in contact with a dress of their own for grad.

This isn't one of those “look what they're doing over there!” stories, though. As spokesperson Brooke Bouchard explains it's incredibly easy to donate – all of Gowns for Grads' dresses are donations from all different kinds of people across the city. The dresses donated have a real ability to make a difference in the lives of some young women who, for a wide variety of reasons, aren't able to buy grad dresses for the occasion.

The intitiative has partnered with multiple local boutiques and shops to create depots where dresses can be dropped off for donation. The following locations will take those beautiful donations:

Lola Boutique - 2090 Corydon
Polar Bear Rubber - 1663 Burrows
Tamarack Clothing, - 166 Meadowood;
d.a. Niels Kitchenware - 485 Berry
Ashland School - 170 Ashland

Donations can be made starting immediately and heading through the first week of April. If you have a grad dress that has seen it's moment in the spotlight, give it that second chance and help provide a dress for someone who might not be fortunate enough to be able to afford a dress on their own!

To find out more about Gowns for Grads, you can visit them on facebook or send them an email at gownsforgradswinnipeg@gmail.com