By Deanna Hansen, event chair of PACE Center for Girls, Lee County’s Love That Dress!
Southwest Florida has a healthy obsession with fashion and giving. These two passions are merged through PACE Center for Girls, Lee County’s annual Love That Dress! event, the ultimate feel-good shopping spree of the year.
Providing local women the opportunity to shop, socialize and honor the female spirit, Love That Dress! is a signature social event that offers discounted prices for new and gently loved dresses, handbags, shoes and accessories. The annual affair benefits PACE Center for Girls, Lee County, which assists girls ages 11 to 18 who have multiple risk factors impacting their academic achievement, including poverty, substance abuse, domestic violence, foster home placement, neglect, grief, incarceration of a family member and physical, emotional or sexual abuse.
As we celebrate the 10th annual Love That Dress! event on Aug. 22, we look back on just how impressive this event has become over the years and how much it has helped our community. Over the past decade, Love That Dress! has raised an extraordinary $1.1 million, funds that directly support strength-based, gender-specific programs that guide PACE girls in finding their voice and achieving their potential.
PACE Center for Girls, Lee County has helped more than 650 local girls find the path to success despite the odds. Alumnae include college students and college graduates, working professionals, mothers and wives. Each was able to overcome their respective challenges to become strong young women and productive, contributing members of society. After leaving PACE, 96 percent of students improved their academic performance, 95 percent had no involvement with the juvenile justice system within one year of exiting the program and 93 percent were either in school or gainfully employed.
What differentiates Love That Dress! from the multitude of fundraising events in Southwest Florida is that everyone can participate. From fashionistas and philanthropists to business professionals and bargain hunters, everyone has something in their closet with the tags still on or that they have only worn once. These are perfect items to donate.
For those looking to add to their wardrobe, tickets to Love That Dress! can be purchased for as little as $30, and in return, you have access to thousands of items offered at pennies on the dollar. As they say, it’s a win-win.
Title Sponsor White House Black Market is contributing hundreds of brand new products to this year’s already expansive inventory. The event also features formal wear and gowns from other fabulous brands including House of Wu and Rachel Allan. All items will be sold at deep discounts, with special pricing in honor of the event’s milestone year.
We encourage the community to join us for Love That Dress! on Wednesday, Aug. 22 at Embassy Suites by Hilton, 10450 Corkscrew Commons Drive in Estero. An evening of shopping, music, a silent auction and cocktails will raise life-changing funds. The money will help local girls and young women live a life defined by responsibility, dignity, serenity, and grace.
Here is how you can help:
- To donate new and gently loved dresses, shoes or accessories: Stop by PACE Center for Girls, Embassy Suites Estero, or the offices at Miromar Outlets. Donations are being accepted through Tuesday, Aug. 21.
- To attend: Tickets for the Aug. 22 event are $30 in advance or $40 at the door. VIP tickets, which include exclusive pre-event access, are $150.
For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.LoveThatDress.org, email Allyson.Ross@PaceCenter.org or call 239-425-2366 ext. 2315.
About the Author
Deanna Hansen is a board member for PACE Center for Girls, Lee County and chair of the 10th annual Love That Dress! event. The event raises funds in support of PACE Center for Girls, Lee County and its strength-based, gender-specific programs. The programs lead girls ages 11 to 18 in finding their voice and achieving their potential.
