Zengelers Cleaners set donation record for Glass Slipper Project

Zengeler Cleaners officials say they’ve set another Glass Slipper Project donation record with more than 4,000 new and gently used prom dresses, shoes, handbags and other accessories worth about $1.9 million collected in cooperation with local high schools and businesses this year.

The dresses and other items have been delivered from Zengeler’s Northbrook location to special “Boutiques” in Chicago. This is the 10th consecutive year Zengeler Cleaners has participated in the collection drive on behalf of the Glass Slipper Project, which distributes the dresses and accessories to needy high school women.

The Glass Slipper Project is a Chicago-based charity that gives prom gowns for free to students who cannot otherwise afford them. Many of these beautiful gowns originally sold for hundreds of dollars — and many of Zengeler Cleaners customers purchased and donated new dresses.

“Hundreds of young women now have the opportunity to enjoy their proms this year, thanks to those who made these generous donations,” said Tom Zengeler, president of the 154-year-old family-owned and operated cleaners. “We are in awe of the generosity of students donating their own dresses, as well as total strangers who purchased and donated brand new dresses. This is truly amazing.”

As part of its commitment to the Glass Slipper Project, Zengeler Cleaners cleans, presses and makes minor repairs to the dresses and delivers them to the site where they are distributed, all services provided for free. The “Boutique” shopping days will be held April 14, 21 and 28 at McCorkle School, 4421 S. State St. in Chicago (corner of 44th and State Street). Volunteer “personal shoppers” are on hand to help the students choose a dress. Since 1999, the organization has helped approximately 23,000 high school women find their perfect prom dress.

Since 2003, Zengeler Cleaners has collected more than 22,000 dresses, the most of any collection point involved in the drive. In the last few months, dresses from students at Stevenson, Deerfield, Libertyville, Lake Forest, Carmel, New Trier and other local high schools, along with Zengeler Cleaners customers and several other local businesses, have been dropped off at each of eight Zengeler Cleaners stores. Some of the dresses even came in new, with tags still attached.