March 19, 2024

Fairy Godmothers to help princesses once again

Volunteers gear up to make dreams come true for local girls

Image 1 of 4

For the fifth consecutive year, a group of adult and teen volunteers will spend a Saturday helping prepare some of the county’s younger girls for a special occasion.

The Fairy Godmothers are a group of area women who volunteer to help girls ages pre-kindergarten to the sixth grade get ready for the Princesses & Papas dance — a father-daughter event held at Newton High School. This year, with Baxter and Newton both holding similar father-daughter events on Feb. 20, it will be a busy Saturday for the volunteers.

Girls will have the chance to borrow a dress from an established collection for a $5 refundable deposit, and can get their hair, nails and makeup done for free at the Princess Workshop, to be held at Newton’s American Legion Post 111, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 20.

“We already have 50 girls signed up, and four are from Baxter,” said Sabrina Smead, a member of the committee. “We had 75 last year, and are expecting more than that.”

The deadline is Monday for registration, which primarily involves a consent form. Smead said the Princess Workshop was established one year after the first Newton High School Princesses & Papas dance. The dance has been around long enough that middle-schoolers and high schoolers are helping out as “graduates” of the workshop.

“We have some girls that have benefited from the workshop in the past and now they’re volunteering,” Smead said. “That’s really one of the main reasons we do this. It’s about more than looking pretty for an afternoon. It’s about giving back to the community.”

Smead has four sons, but many of the dresses that have been used in the workshop are stored in her basement most of the time. The labor for the makeup, hair and nails is donated, as is the photography of the event.

Angie Mobray, another committee member, said the workshop is intended for girls from families with all types of financial situations and living arrangements.

“We’ve had some single dads come in with their daughters, and they have helped her find a dress, but don’t know the first thing about hair and makeup and nails,” Mobray said.

One of the main points the committee hopes to drive home is about a spirit of community. Mobray said Danica Jackson saved and recycled enough pop cans to raise $55, which she donated to the workshop’s fund.

“Things like that just make my heart melt,” Mobray said. “That shows that they get what it’s all about.”

Smead said there are more than 50 volunteers who have committed to this year’s workshop. There have also been in-kind donations such as food.

“It’s amazing how much support we receive,” Smead said. “The community has really embraced not only the dances, but the workshop as well.”

Mobray said the workshop, like the dances, tends to help girls become more comfortable in social situations.

“You really see girls come out of their shell at these things,” she said. “It’s a great event for families who are new in the area or for younger girls who haven’t been in school long.”

Mobray and Smead both said they’re thankful to the Legion for allowing use of the Post 111 ballroom.

Smead said the workshop helps girls take pride in themselves, and not simply in their appearance. This is an especially powerful event for the middle school and high school age volunteers.

“It’s about developing life skills,” she said. “A workshop like this shows them there’s something bigger than themselves.”

The Baxter father-daughter dance is set to be held from 3 to 5 p.m. at Baxter Community School, while the Princesses & Papas Dance is from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the Newton High School upper gym.

The committee can be contacted by email at newtonfairygodmothers@gmail.com or through the Facebook page “The Fairy Godmothers.”

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com