The Dream Boutique is back in a new location to help provide dresses for local girls that plan to go to prom. The Dream Boutique will hold several shopping and donation events over the next two months for people to donate dresses and other items for girls to buy for their school’s prom. The Dream Boutique’s Shopping Events will be on:
Sunday, March 5, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 19, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 30, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 2, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 12, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Erin LaPlante and Kim Dans are co-organizers of the Dream Boutique, who both organized its events back in 2017 after hearing someone ask where they could donate prom dresses and realizing there wasn’t a place students could get prom dresses at a low price.
“Our mission is to promote self-confidence and individual beauty by providing affordable prom dresses and accessories to local high school girls,” said LaPlante. “We’re serving areas like Crookston, Fisher, Climax, Fertile, and Red Lake Falls. Last year we even had people as far as Bemidji, Erskine, Grand Forks, and McIntosh come to us, so we won’t turn people away based on where they’re at because we’re here to provide a solution for anybody that has a need.”
The store currently has over 215 dresses available for girls to choose from but also has many other items girls may need for proms, such as shoes, jewelry, purses, and more.
The Boutique is also accepting donations of prom dresses and other prom-related items that can be sold to girls for prom at prices ranging anywhere from $5 to $100.
“We do take the long, prom-type dresses. We try to stay away from the plainer bridesmaid dresses. We have taken some of those in the past and were able to donate those over to the Polk County DAC. We have 215ish prom-type dresses here right now, and we can always use more,” said LaPlante. “We take long prom dresses, short homecoming style dresses, and donations of the jewelry, purses, and accessories can be dropped off either at my State Farm Insurance office on Broadway or at Kim’s Store at Wish Upon a Star.”
The Boutique is also helping the Crookston High School prom with more than just giving dresses as they plan to make a $500 donation to the school this week. During the shopping events, they will have door prizes for the shoppers to get prizes from local businesses.
“In the past, we have had local hairstylists and things of that nature donate door prizes so that when shoppers come in, they can sign up for them, and if they get their name pulled, they win a door prize,” Kim Dans explained. “We’ve had updos, hair products, and tanning packages.”
Shoppers can enter their names during any of the shopping events, and names will be pulled on the last event on Wednesday, April 12. If any businesses wish to donate any prizes, they can contact Erin or Kim to add their prize or drop them off like a donation at either of their establishments.
The Dream Boutique is located at 108 South Main Street on the corner of South Main Street and West Robert Street in the old Carquest, Taekwondo, and Just for Kix studio. Its first shopping event will be held on Sunday, March 5, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Donations can be dropped anytime at Erin LaPlante’s State Farm building during their regular hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Monday to Friday, or at Wish Upon a Star during their regular hours of or you can call Erin at 218-289-1867 or Kim at 218-281-1700 to make arrangements to drop off donations or pick up any orders.
