NEWS
RELEASES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE APRIL 18, 2004
Cinderella Project Works Magic for Lower Mainland
Grads
Local non-profit organization provides
formalwear to more than 150 students in need
Vancouver, B.C. – While most
high school seniors are concerned with getting good
grades and making the football team, hundreds of teenagers
across the Lower Mainland face some very adult challenges.
They’re busy putting food on the family table,
raising younger siblings or fighting life-threatening
illnesses. For these young people, the luxury of celebrating
their graduation is a financial impossibility and
a distant dream.
Thanks to the efforts of a dedicated group of “Fairy
Godparents” from Greater Vancouver’s Cinderella
Project, however, students like these will be able
to attend their graduation festivities with pride.
This Sunday, April 18, more than 150 students will
gather at the Vancouver Renaissance Harbourside Hotel
to select suits, gowns and accessories, receive tips
for grad hairstyles and makeup and be recognized and
rewarded for their achievements.
Now in its fifth year, the Cinderella Project was
founded by Vancouver human rights lawyers Heather
MacKenzie and Cheryl Otto. Mackenzie says the Cinderella
Project is about much more than gowns and tuxedos
– it’s about encouragement, confidence
building and positive mentorship. Nearly half of all
“Cinderellas” and “Cinderfellas”
are chronically ill or disabled. More than two-thirds
of those who can work juggle multiple part-time jobs
to help support their families. Some are single parents.
Many care for ailing parents or raise younger siblings
with little support. The Cinderella Project acknowledges
and rewards these young people for staying in school
and graduating despite overwhelming odds.
Since the Cinderella Project does not receive ongoing
government funding, the group relies solely on donations
from individuals and organizations to operate the
program and hold its annual Boutique Day. The project
is 100% volunteer-based – there are no paid
positions.
For more information about the Cinderella Project,
call 604-603-9155 or visit www.thecinderellaproject.com.
About the Cinderella Project
Founded in 1999, the Cinderella Project is a federally
registered charity based in Vancouver, B.C. that provides
graduation attire to underprivileged students who
otherwise could not afford to attend their high school
graduation ceremonies. The organization recognizes
outstanding young people who have succeeded in the
face of overwhelming odds and boosts their self-esteem
through respect and positive mentorship. The project
receives no regular government funding and relies
solely on the support of individual and corporate
donors and sponsors.
The first project of its kind in Canada, Vancouver’s
Cinderella Project has inspired a number of similar
organizations across Canada and around the world.
The project has been nominated as a finalist in the
Canadian Red Cross Power of Humanity Awards program
and is a semi-finalist in the 2004 FLARE Volunteer
Awards.
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For more information about the Cinderella
Project, contact:
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