Drop the ballgown
By Kathy Fallert; photo courtesy of Mary-Sue Quinn
Formal gowns can be dropped off at GreenEarth Cleaners in Castle Pines for Operation Ball Gown.
A resident of Forest Park for 13 years, Mary-Sue Quinn is a member of the Colorado Society of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America (NSCDA). In fact, Quinn is the patriotic service chair for the Colorado Society and has been for eight years. As such, Quinn borrowed an idea from another state society, namely: Operation Ball Gown.
Operation Ball Gown began with sending ballgowns to military wives to wear at galas honoring their husbands who were returning from Iraq. Colorado Society’s Operation Ball Gown collects and distributes gently worn formal gowns and evening dresses to “Cinderella’s Closet” which is a clothing closet available to families of military service members. Family members from Fort Carson and Peterson Air Force Base have access to this closet.
Quinn remarked, “The gowns are a godsend for wives to enjoy for the military balls, and for their daughters’ special occasions such as prom. It is a wonderful way to donate the nice dresses and gowns that are only worn once or twice to an organization that will genuinely appreciate and enjoy them!”
While the Patriotic Service Committee for the Colorado Society also sponsors a Christmas stocking project which donates items to the Denver VA Hospital during the holiday season, Operation Ball Gown will be an ongoing project for the NSCDA.
GreenEarth Cleaners in Castle Pines is currently accepting ballgown donations for Quinn’s project. To find out more about NSCDA, visit www.nscda.org. To contact Quinn directly, send her a private message through NextDoor.com.
