Saskatchewan steps up in style: Dresses donated to Fort McMurray for graduations

A simple idea to help with upcoming graduation ceremonies in Fort McMurray has blossomed into a significant gift of dozens of dresses, including a car load from a Saskatchewan woman who joined the cause.

"I joined a group called Fort McMurray Grads Donation on Facebook and that's how I found out about everything," Jenica Brown, who lives in Briercrest near Moose Jaw, Sask., said.

Within a few days she had collected enough dresses to make a trip to Alberta to drop off dresses to aid people who left Fort McMurray due to wildfires.

"I have over 80 and more at home that didn't fit in my car," she said. The donations came from Moose Jaw and Regina.

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The donations included shoes and some fashion jewelry.

Brown's donations were added to others that have been collected and are destined for an upcoming event, she said. 

She took her donations to a woman in Medicine Hat, Alta., who is taking them to evacuees in Edmonton.

"They're going to do a big event where all the grads can come and try on dresses and pick out whatever they want," she explained.

Brown said the experience of connecting with so many generous people was moving.

"It was amazing," she said. "One girl had 17 of her friends drop off all their dresses at her house. It sure made you realize there's a lot of good people in this world."

She noted that many of the dresses are very much still in style.

"Most of them had graduated in the last five to 10 years," she said.