Zengeler Cleaners is once again giving needy Chicago-area high school girls a chance to go to prom, collecting gowns, plus shoes, jewelry, handbags and other accessories for a local charity that gives prom gowns for free to students who cannot otherwise afford them.
This year sets a record for the Glass Slipper Project donation collection – more than 4,000 new and gently-used prom dresses, shoes, handbags and other accessories worth approximately $2 million were collected by Zengeler Cleaners, 155-year old family-owned and operated cleaners, in cooperation with local high schools and businesses this year. Many of these beautiful gowns originally sold for hundreds of dollars – and each year many of Zengeler Cleaners customers purchase and donate brand new dresses.
"So many young women now have the special opportunity to enjoy their proms this year, thanks to those who made these generous donations," said Tom Zengeler, president, Zengeler Cleaners.
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“The generosity of students donating their own dresses, as well as others who purchased and donated dresses is awe inspiring, and truly amazing.”
Zengeler Cleaners cleans, presses and makes minor repairs to the dresses, and then packed four of their vans for delivery to the distribution location -- all services provided for free. The formal dresses and accessories are then distributed free of charge to students at Glass Slipper "boutiques," where each student receives individual assistance from a volunteer "personal shopper." This year’s Boutique Shopping Days are April 12 and 26, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Price School, 4351 S. Drexel in Chicago.
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Since 1999, the organization has helped nearly 23,000 high school women find their perfect prom dress. Over the years, Zengeler Cleaners has collected more than 22,000 dresses, the most of any collection point involved in the drive. In the last few months, students at Stevenson, Deerfield, Libertyville, Lake Forest, Carmel, New Trier and other local high schools, along with Zengeler Cleaners customers and other local businesses, have brought dresses and accessories to Zengeler Cleaners stores. Some of the dresses even came in brand new, with tags still attached.
For more information about The Glass Slipper Project, visitwww.glassslipperproject.org. For more info about Zengeler Cleaners, visit www.zengelercleaners.com, or contact Tom Zengeler, President, at 847-272-6550, ext. 14. Zengeler Cleaners’ stores are located in Deerfield, Hubbard Woods, Northfield, Winnetka, two Libertyville stores, Long Grove and company headquarters store in Northbrook, Illinois.
