Fit for a princess

Hanahan High School senior Rickia Rivers knew she didn't want anything sparkly and thought she preferred a long blue or purple dress to wear April 23 to her prom.

She walked away instead with one that was short and gold, but she was still happy.

She was one of about 250 high school girls who found a dress for her high school formal at the North Charleston Dream Center's third annual Cinderella Day on Saturday.

Girls started lining up nearly two hours before the doors opened for the free event, and by the time it started at 10 a.m., the line stretched across the parking lot.

"The turnout was really more than we expected," said chairwoman Brittany A. Meyers, who already is planning to run the event again next year. Last year, about 180 girls were served.

Girls accompanied by their mothers, fathers or friends were let into the Dream Center's gym-turned-boutique a few at a time and sat at tables eating refreshments and looking at prom magazines while waiting to be called by a personal shopper, who helped search through more than 800 gowns, many of them still with price tags, and choose up to four to try on at a time in the makeshift dressing rooms.

They also could choose a pair of shoes and matching jewelry, and many had their hair and makeup done by professional volunteers who had set up workstations.

"I don't want anyone to leave without a dress today," Meyers said.

There was still a line at 2 p.m., when the event was supposed to end, so organizers let the rest of the girls in and tried to serve them all.

Although she was exhausted by the time the doors closed -- and still had to pack away for next year the remaining dresses -- Meyers called the event was a success.

"It feels really good to help so many girls find dresses for the prom," she said.

Reach Brenda Rindge at 937-5713 or at brindge@postandcourier.com.