For many students, prom is one of the toughest challenges of the year. Who to ask? What to do before and after?  And of course, what to wear? 

One of the main problems girls face is their dress. Prom dresses are often ridiculously expensive and not everyone can afford a dress plus all of the other expenses involved with going to the prom.  

The Blair County United Way’s Glass Slipper Project began seven years ago as a way to help girls get a dress without breaking the bank.  

Students from any Blair County school are eligible to visit their boutique in the Logan Valley Mall and “shop” for a free gown, jewelry and/or accessories to make their prom an event they will always remember. The new and gently worn gowns will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

“This is truly a worthwhile cause and it solves many women’s problem of what to do with the old formal prom dresses,” said one Tyrone student who has donated her dress to the program.

The program is open to all students who are enrolled in any Blair County high school. The event will be held at the Logan Valley Mall in the Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, Blair Campus on three dates:

• Saturday, February 27th from 12-4pm
• Friday, March 18th from 5:30-8:30pm
• Saturday March 19th from 12-4pm

Those interested should use the external entrance from the mall parking lot which is next to Macy’s entrance on the same side as the parking garage.

“United Way of Blair County is so thankful to be able to provide free dresses to Blair County high school students. We are grateful to all the generous community members and businesses who donate to this project,” said Melanie Shildt, executive director at the United Way of Blair County.

Tyrone senior Erika Voyzey helped the project recently by modeling one of the dresses available through the program on the Central PA Live morning news show on WTAJ TV (click link to see video).

“My best friend’s mom is involved with the project and asked if I wanted to model a dress for a segment on Central PA Live,” said Voyzey, “It was a lot of fun, and the program is a really big help to girls who want to have a great prom experience but can’t afford to spend a lot of money.”

Girls are also encouraged to donate their dresses to the project.  Gowns should be clean and currently-styled in misses/women’s sizes from 0-26. In addition to gowns, formal shoes, purses, and accessories will also be accepted.

“I’ve been donating my prom dresses to Glass Slipper for the past two years. It’s a great way to have someone reuse those dresses you only wore once and know you won’t wear again,” said an anonymous Tyrone student.

For additional information about the Glass Slipper Project, please contact the United Way of Blair County at [email protected] or call 814.944.0884 ext. 302.