Alberta skateboarders to take 120 prom dresses to Mexico for exploited girls

[Judi Lynn]

Young women will wear the gowns at their quinceanera coming-of-age celebrations
Rachel Ward · CBC News · Posted: Mar 26, 2018 1:33 PM MT | Last Updated: an hour ago

A group of skateboarders in Medicine Hat, Alta., is learning all about prom dresses as their clubhouse is being flooded with dozens of sparkly gowns — which they're planning to take all the way to Mexico and donate to exploited teen girls to help them celebrate their quinceanera.

By Monday morning, the Medicine Hat Skateboard Association had received 169 donated prom dresses — more than its 120 dress-goal — destined to be worn by teenage girls in Mexico.

The girls live at a safe house run by a couple from Alberta, and many of the girls have had difficult lives marked by sexual exploitation, drug use, prostitution or neglect. They don't have families to organize a major cultural event, such as the quinceanera, which marks when a girl turns 15.

"They have to celebrate these coming of age parties alone and it's a very sad thing, so they try to do it as a community the best they can," organizer Levi Switzer told the Calgary Eyeopener on Monday.

More:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/medicine-hat-alberta-skateboard-association-1.4593335

[Phoenix61]

1. How cool

That is such a nice thing for them to do. I didn't even know what a quinceanera was until a few years ago. I thought a Sweet 16 party was a big deal but those are on a whole other level.