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Fairy Tale Tradition Continues at Sowell Gray |
"A young woman from Columbia shops for her dream dress at The Cinderella Project." Photo by J. Mann Photography.
COLUMBIA, April 5, 2007 – Sowell Gray Stepp & Laffitte, LLC, lawyer Tina Cundari made dreams come true this spring, at an event that was founded by another Sowell Gray lawyer six years ago, and that has been led by one of the firm’s lawyers ever since. Tina served as a co-chair of the Cinderella Project, a project that collects gently worn formal dresses to give to high school girls who otherwise would not be able to afford a dress for the prom. The project is sponsored by the Young Lawyers Division of the South Carolina Bar and the Upsilon Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. Evening dresses, shoes, accessories, and even make-up are collected in the early months of the year and then are displayed at the Cinderella Project Boutique. Girls from all over Columbia attend the boutique and shop for a dress. All items are free.
Over 250 girls attended this year’s boutique, which was held at the USC School of Law on March 3, and 210 girls received dresses. The preparation for the event was no small task, as the dresses were collected for weeks, sorted, and then transported and displayed in only a few hours before the event. But the payoff is huge for those young lawyers assisting the girls and seeing dreams of the prom come true.
“There is nothing like seeing the expression on a girl’s face when she sees herself in a pretty dress, perhaps for the first time,” said Tina. “It makes you realize that you are giving these girls more than a dress.”
In 2001, Sowell Gray lawyer Shannon Till Poteat co-chaired the first Cinderella Project in South Carolina. She led the event for three years, and then turned the project over to Amy Hill, another Sowell Gray lawyer. Tina Cundari is carrying on what has become a Sowell Gray tradition.
The Cinderella Project has expanded beyond Columbia. Boutiques have been held in Charleston, Greenville, Greenwood, and for the first time this year, the Beaufort/Hilton Head area.
“As we all know, the prom is a big deal in a high school student’s life,” said Tina. “I hope that this project has played some part in helping girls create good memories that will last a lifetime.”
For more information, contact Sarah Sawicki at 803.917.3246 or ssawicki@sowell.com.