Long lines followed by longer receipts, that's the scene for many spouses searching for the perfect military ball gown.
With military balls and high school proms coming up in May, many women are looking for the perfect gown. However, shopping at retail stores can be costly. The USO Fort Riley: Operation Gift the Gown offers a chance to skip the long lines and shop for a gown free of cost.
More than 200 gowns were donated to the fourth annual USO Fort Riley: Operation Gift the Gown event on April 18.
Christy Scripture, previous assistant coordinator, saw a need in the community for not only ball gowns but high school prom dresses as well. So, she and two friends founded Operation Gift the Gown.
"Basically, my first one I just came and volunteered," said Scripture. "From there on, the mutual friend moved away and I kind of stepped up in her spot, so to speak, just helping with donations and asking the community and everyone surrounding if they could donate their old ball gowns. So we had all kinds of donations, shoes, jewelry, [the people at] Bellus Academy donated their time the first couple of events that we did."
In previous years, Scripture and two of her friends kept Operation Gift the Gown within their brigade; but it grew and this is the first year USO Fort Riley has hosted the event and opened it to the entire post.
Jessica Wesson, USO volunteer, said the majority of these dresses came from donations made here on post; however, the USO did reach out to people with the Red Cross in Topeka, who collected dresses for the event.
"I think it's a great opportunity for the spouses or women to find a ball gown," Wesson said. "I know myself, I have a hard time finding my size in the dress that I'm looking for, so I think it's great that we can get all of these different dresses together that people can look at."
For more information on Operation Gift the Gown, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/giftthegown.
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