MyCityCare’s annual Cinderella Project and Tux Shop is back for its nineth year, as the doors swing open to the Class of 2026.
Lethbridge Director Tanya Lister says the boutique fluctuates every year and is a little bit different than the organization’s other programs. “It meets a very specific targeted need of just students needing help this year.”
Last year, Lister notes, the project helped 75 students attend their graduation in style.
This is the first year the boutique is being hosted in MyCityCare’s new space.
“It’s so nice to have it in our space. It also allows people, when they come here, if they don’t know about the other resources that MyCityCare offers, it gives them an opportunity to kind of see that in action,” Lister adds.
MyCityCare wants to help the targeted need of getting students formal wear for grad, but the goal is to also make sure students and their families have the proper resources going forward.
“There are students that make the choice not to attend their grad every year because their family, through whatever they’re going through or that their family is facing, just the financial hardships of being able to afford grad,” Lister explains. “Grad is super expensive. Most of the dresses, brand new, were upwards of $700 to $800, and suits are typically around the same $500 to $600.”
The team at MyCityCare, Lister says, wants students to be able to graduate in dignity and hold their heads up high, as they cross the stage with their peers.
“Grad is just one of those cool milestones in life. Most people can tell you a little bit about their grad and how that went for them. We just wanted to give these students that dignity of being able to celebrate with their peers,” Lister adds.
Lister says the formal wear is donated by community members and a few local businesses. “The students come in and we create a boutique experience. Just like if they went to a local shop, we have the same thing.”
“There’s a personal shopping team for every student. Each student gets a private appointment where they can bring a family member, a couple of friends or whoever their support team might be that can come. They can have that experience of trying on different things.”
The boutique also offers shoes and makeup, and local hairstylists and photographers are available.
Lister adds MyCityCare relies on a lot of different connections in the city, including other agencies and schools. “I reach out to them to try to identify the students that might benefit from this program.”
The students are one of Lister’s favourite parts of the initiative. “I think teenagers are just the coolest people on the planet. I love their passion. I love to see their individuality. We want them to come out of the boutique feeling like a million bucks.”
Oftentimes, when students visit the boutique, they come in with low expectations, Lister notes. “They’re not sure what to expect. By the time they come back, we’ve got shoulders up and just that confidence level. We just want to celebrate them, and the hard work. School is hard, and most of these students have had to overcome other barriers in their lives that make it harder.”
With the suits, Lister adds, students can use them for future job interviews, a family event or “whatever that next step might be.”
