The Cinderella Project opens in Valley Mall

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - Prom season is here, and the Cinderella Project reopened its doors in the Valley Mall on Saturday.

This storefront is lined with color-coated dresses and tuxes for students whose families may not be able to afford all of the lavish things that come with going to prom.

“It started as an idea to help teens whose families were going through a bit of a hard time,” Rhonda Howdyshell, founder of The Cinderella Project said. “To be able to have the perfect outfit to go to their prom without cost.”

Students make appointments online and when they arrive, with the help of a volunteer consultant, they get to search the store for dresses they like, try them on to see which one is the perfect fit, and then find matching shoes, jewelry, and makeup.

All of this comes completely free to the student and their family. Dresses are all new or gently worn given by donors.

The consultants are all volunteers and they are always welcoming and need new volunteers.

“We came here to Cinderella’s closet because we were having some trouble getting her a dress for prom,” Viviana Hogan said. “That was when we were back in Staunton and they moved here September 1st and September 1st is the day my daughter lost her battle with a terminal illness and I found myself with all this time on my hands and I knew I wanted to do something to honor her.”

The “castle” is open most Saturdays from February to May for prom season and reopens from August to October for homecoming season.

For more information on the Cinderella Project, click here.

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