PACE Center for Girls Announces 8th Annual Love That Dress! Fundraising Event

FORT MYERS, Fla. - April 28, 2016 - PRLog -- Planning for this year's Love That Dress 8! fundraising event, benefitting PACE Center for Girls Lee County, is in full swing as organizers prepare for a season of collection events, building anticipation for the main event on Wednesday, August 24 from 5 to 9 p.m.

Love That Dress!, sponsored by White House Black Market, is the ultimate feel-good shopping spree of the year, where over 600 fashionistas will enjoy shopping an incredible inventory, a silent auction area with over $35,000 worth of items and packages, music, food and fun.  Event chair and co-chairs this year are Shelley Starner, assistant general manager of Miromar Outlets, and Jennifer Pfenninger, director of sales at Embassy Suites in Estero.  This is their second year serving as chairs and both have been involved since the inception of the fundraiser.

"We are thrilled to have Shelley and Jennifer leading this event for the second year in a row," says Board of Directors chair Diana Willis, "Both of these incredible women dedicate so much of their time, talents and treasures in support of the PACE mission."

This year's main event will take place at the Embassy Suites, located at 10450 Corkscrew Commons Drive in Estero. In the months leading up to the event, members of the Southwest Florida community are asked to donate new and gently "loved" dresses and accessories at collection parties and convenient drop-off locations across the county. Collection parties hosted by generous local businesses and organizations are a great way to connect with community members and sample the local fare, all while collecting inventory, raising funds and generating awareness for the main event. In total, there will be seven collection events held throughout the summer.

Fundraising efforts kick off with the 7th annual Spada-thon collection event held at the SPADA Salon & Day Spa in Fort Myers on Tuesday, May 24 from 4 to 8 p.m. Attendees are asked to bring one or more gently "loved" dresses or to make a small donation of $5 for admission to Spada-thon. At the event, guests will enjoy $20 haircuts, $15 manicures, $15 chair massages, discounted botox services, fashion vendors and more. For the first time, SPADA-thon will feature a poker tournament hosted by House of Cards.  Spots are $150 with a $500 cash prize.  The Zig Zag Girlz from the Seminole Casino in Immokalee will be making a special appearance at the tournament.  Services and spots in the poker tournament should be reserved in advance, as space is limited. Call 239-482-1858 or visit www.spadaspa.com for reservations.

Additional events will include a Fashion Show Luncheon presented by Miromar Outlets and hosted by the Embassy Suites in Estero on Tuesday, June 7; the 2nd Annual Sunset at SS Hookers Waterfront Restaurant on Wednesday, June 15; The Funky Fashion Show presented by IBERIABANK, Italian American Club, Razzle Dazzle Boutique and the Cape Cabaret in Cape Coral on Monday June 27; RumRunners' Miami Vibes in Cape Coral Thursday July 7; The River District Collection Event at Goodwill Boutique on First and Red Door Photography's studio in Downtown Fort Myers on Thursday, July 14; and the Season Finale hosted by Six Bends Harley Davidson® on Friday, July 29.

This year's goal is to generate an inventory of over 4,000 dresses and raise $120,000. All proceeds generated by the Love That Dress! events benefit PACE Center for Girls of Lee County.

Anyone interested in participating in a collection event in support of Love That Dress!8 may contact Allyson Ross, special projects associate for PACE Lee, at Allyson.Ross@PACECenter.org. For more information about the event, call 239-470-7548 or visit www.pacecenterforgirls.org/lee.

About PACE Center for Girls

PACE Center for Girls is a Florida-based, nonprofit organization and the only statewide prevention program for adolescent at-risk girls in the nation. The non-residential program targets the unique needs of girls, ages 12 to 18, facing challenges such as physical and sexual abuse, domestic violence, substance abuse, foster care, neglect, death of a parent, family history of incarceration and declining grades. In the past year, the Lee County program provided 106 girls with education, counseling, training and advocacy, resulting in 96 percent of girls in the program having no involvement with juvenile justice within one year of leaving PACE, 93 percent improving their academic performance and 76 percent remaining in school or obtaining employment three years after leaving PACE. As a result, PACE reduces the significant long-term costs associated with teen pregnancy, substance use, unemployment and long-term economic dependency.