By Stephanie Pryor
Contributor
Mission ImPROMible, a Seton Hill University (SHU)-based organization, raised and is donating $5,000 to Mission Honduras International (MHI) this year. Mission ImPROMible is a formal clothing drive conducted by SHU’s Communication Club that enables young women to buy affordable dresses for important formal events, such as homecoming and prom. SHU students Lauren Sciacca and Kelly Alfieri, sophomores, created the organization in 2010.
Besides offering designer gowns at 75% off of the original retail price to girls all over the area, Mission ImPROMible strives to aid the impoverished citizens of Honduras in educating their children. All funds collected by Mission ImPROMible—including the $3,000 raised on February 5 and 6—are donated directly to this cause.
At first it was interesting to see all the young girls get excited about [buying] inexpensive dresses, but then I realized that we were helping the children of Mission Honduras International as well,” said Maria Gallina, one of the volunteers at the event.
Mission ImPROMible boasts a collection of dresses by designers ranging from Jovani, Nina Canacci and Alyce to Xcite, Fire And Ice and Terani. The dresses are donated by local prom shops, marked down, and sold at a fraction of the price.
“We literally take the original price and take off 75%. Everything is brand new, never worn and nothing is priced over $100,” co-founder of Mission ImPROMible, Sciacca stated. “Everyone who came by from the community commented on what a nice program we put together, and how they were looking forward to another sale in the fall.”
Both customers and volunteers alike enjoyed their experiences at the Mission ImPROMible sale. “I had a really great time helping. I was able to help girls decide what dress they were going to wear to their high school prom,” said a junior, Chloe Sparr. “They were all really excited and a lot of girls chose their dress from Mission ImPROMible. It was fun helping and it was awesome to know that the money was going to a good cause.”
Several Honduran children will now be closer to an education thanks to the efforts of MHI and everyone who is a part of Mission ImPROMible, from its conductors to its customers. “We were really excited about the overwhelming success of our sale,” said Alfieri, co-founder of Mission ImPROMible, of the results from the recent drive.
The future is bright for the organization and its clothing drives to come. As word spreads across SHU’scampus and its surrounding community, the proceeds of this event can increase exponentially. This is one group of people believing nothing is ‘imPROMible’!