Students come up with bright idea: Recycle prom dresses

School club, local dry cleaning business partner in Cinderella's Closet program

What to do with that fancy prom dress after the dance is over? Recycle it, of course.

That's the idea behind an innovative idea drummed up by members of Sequim High School's Random Acts of Kindness Club.

Called Cinderella's Closet, the idea is to pass on what are fairly expensive dresses, cutting down costs to attend school dances and other formal functions. It's a whole new take on recycling, said Kyla Hall, a junior at Sequim High School and this year's president of the Random Acts of Kindness Club.

Hall doesn't like to take all the credit for Cinderella's Closet, but ask any of the club's members whose idea it was to recycle dresses and they all point to Hall.

Actually, she said, "it is a spin-off from a club in Seattle that I learned at a leadership conference this summer."

Hall was impressed enough to introduce it to her fellow club members, which number about 30 students, who immediately adopted the program as one of this year's, well, random acts of kindness.

"We are always trying to think of creative community service projects," Hall said. Instead of students swapping dresses among themselves, Hall and friends took the concept one step further. First, the group took their idea to Ed and Nancy Weikal, owners of Sequim Dry Cleaning, hoping the two would agree to clean the dresses for a low cost of $20.

"We thought it was a great idea," Nancy Weikal said. "We are excited to be part of the project."

Here's how it works. Anyone wishing to donate a dress either takes it to the high school or contacts Hall or any member of the Random Acts of Kindness Club. Club members take a photo of the dress and include it in a catalog of what's available. The club members take the dress to Sequim Dry Cleaning where it is cleaned and made available for the next big dance.

After selecting a dress from the catalog, all it takes is a trip to Sequim Dry Cleaning to try on the dress and pay the $20.

If it costs more than $20 to have the dress cleaned, the club will pay the overage, Hall explained. A recent $500 donation from the local Soroptimist Club will help pay any expenses.

Since the average cost of a prom dress is $100 or more, the $20 is a bargain.

After the dance, a dress can be returned to the cleaners for another go around.

The only restriction is that dresses must be dry-cleanable, no spot-clean only garments.

Hall said the program isn't just for high school students but is open to the community as well.

Both the Random Acts of Kindness Club and Sequim Dry Cleaning would like to expand the program by inviting other Sequim businesses, such as restaurants or florists, to donate a gift certificate that would be included in a drawing for those checking out dresses.

"It would really be fun to involve more of the community in this," Hall said.

The Random Acts of Kindness Club started last year at Sequim High School and has grown significantly, Hall said. Members have helped at Serenity House in Sequim and Port Angeles, served hot chocolate to the student body and are ready to give a hug or smile to someone who looks in need of such a day-brightener.

For further information regarding Cinderella's Closet or to donate dresses or gift certificates, contact Hall at rhouse@olypen.com or call the Weikals at Sequim Dry Cleaning, 683-2642.