Reuse dress sale presents 378 dresses

From left, sisters Hayley and Grace Fender shop for dresses Sunday for the Helias homecoming dance at the school's annual Parents Club Formal Resale.
From left, sisters Hayley and Grace Fender shop for dresses Sunday for the Helias homecoming dance at the school's annual Parents Club Formal Resale.

"You have to try these on!"

With that, Hayley Fender's friends whisked away the Helias Catholic High School freshman after a brief interview with a reporter.

There were more pressing matters than talking to the press.

At the annual Helias Parents Club Formal Resale, there was a nice selection of dresses at good prices, Fender said. But they were going fast.

"I'm excited," she said as she and sister Grace, a Helias sophomore, scanned the racks for that perfect dress for the school homecoming dance.

The event was open to the community, allowing girls to sell their used dresses - often worn just once or twice - for a $5 fee. Buyers paid the asking price for the dresses, plus a $5 fee per dress. The parents club makes another $5 fee from early-bird shoppers who pay the extra amount to shop for one hour before the general public.

Those $5 fees add up to $2,000-$3,000, which goes to help the school in various ways. The parents group also runs concession stands at Helias sporting events and host a school uniform sale.

Dress prices ranged greatly, but shoppers said there were some top brands to be had for good prices.

Laura Schrimpf used to shop with her daughters at the event about a decade ago. Now she co-chairs the event.

"I like it from the community aspect because lots of people spend a lot of money on these dresses, so it's nice to find them a new home and not only for the seller but for the buyer," Schrimpf said. "It's also kind of fun for the girls to come down and shop with their friends or their family."

The sale featured 378 dresses this year, she said.

She said organizers tried to market the event to the community, and it can also work as an outreach event. She hopes more people from the community come to the sale in the future.

"Around here, there's limited shopping, and this is a lot of selection at one time in a short period," Schrimpf said.

Abby Welschmeyer, a junior at Fatima High School in Westphalia, had success while shopping with her mother, Krista.

"It's all one-stop shopping," Krista Welchmeyer said. "We don't have to go to 6,000 different stores, and it's all for a good cause."