WHITESTOWN, Ind. (WTHR) — Carla Mann and her sister, Lisa Cutshaw, have been a blessing to teenage girls in central Indiana since last year when they did their first prom dress giveaway.
The sisters hosted two free giveaways last year, donating 75 dresses to girls in need at the events. They've started a ministry called "Blessings & Bling" to make sure every girl who dreams of finding the perfect prom dress can do just that for free.
This year, Mann and Cutshaw have added a third giveaway and hope to give away more prom dresses, shoes and accessories than ever before.
Planning for the giveaways starts in October, when Mann and Cutshaw say they spend more than 30 hours per month pulling these events together. The community donates dresses and Mann and Cutshaw go thrift shopping to find hidden gems for cheap. So far this year, there are more than 400 dress available to give away.
The giveaways are free and open for everyone to attend.
This year's giveaways are happening over three weekends in March around central Indiana.
- March 2: Flanner Buchanan Washington Park East — Life Center Ballroom, 10722 E. Washington St., Indianapolis
- March 9: Birch Bayh Community Center, 715 N. 19th St., Elwood
- March 16: LifePoint Church, 8540 Combs Road, Indianapolis
Each event runs from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
If you're interested in donating new or gently used prom dresses, shoes and accessories, there are four drop-off locations:
- Edward Jones, Office of Lee Irwin: 262 Ford Road, Suite 100, Zionsville
- Carmel Dental Group: 715 W. Carmel Dr., Suite 103, Carmel
- The Vault Hair Salon: 700 Main St., Beech Grove
- Whitestown Municipal Complex: 6210 Veterans Dr., Whitestown
To learn more about Blessings & Bling and get the latest information on the giveaways, visit the Facebook page.