A school is saving cash-strapped parents hundreds of euro by offering First Holy Communion dresses and suits to children for free.
Hundreds of dresses, suits, veils, shoes and bags were snapped up over the weekend by parents, many of whom were astonished when they discovered there was no charge on the complete outfits.
The event was organised by the parents association of St Declan’s National School in Ashbourne, Co Meath, who had been collecting donations of pre-loved dresses and suits over the past year.
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Spokeswoman Caoimhe Gore said: “We had more than 100 dresses and about 80 suits as well as dozens of pairs of shoes, bags and about 40 veils.
“First Communion outfits can be costly and put extra pressure on parents at this time of the year so we decided to try and reduce that stress.
“The weekend was incredible. We have about 20 dresses and four veils left which we will probably hold onto and try and replicate the event next year.
“We held the sale in a shop in the town so it felt like a real shopping experience for the children for their big day so a big thank you to Ashbourne High Street for the use of the unit.
“Remarkably, most of the dresses and suits the kids picked for themselves fitted them like a glove.
“There were maybe one or two who didn’t find anything but everyone else was delighted.
“We even had a fancy sign to say, ‘I said yes to the dress’ for the girls, to make the occasion even more special.
“Most of the parents didn’t realise that everything was free and their jaws literally dropped when I told them.
“Many of the parents felt uncomfortable leaving without giving anything so they bought loads of tickets for hampers we had for a raffle.
“The parents said the event saved them hundreds of euro. One family left with two suits and a dress. One little girl said she had a dream that her dress would be free and we made that dream come true.
“Kids wear the dresses and suits for a few hours so most of them are still perfect and in style.
“Some dresses donated were from last year while others had been in the wardrobe for years but First Holy Communion dress styles by and large are in vogue year in and year out. We would hope that this event would be mirrored by other schools around the country. It helps parents in this cost of living crisis and it helps the environment by promoting sustainability.
“Even during the weekend, people called in with more donations and I’m still getting texts offering pre-loved dresses.”
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