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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (May 10, 2011)
community may10 2011 “No Cute Dress Should Go To Waste” 7 Jazmin Worthey is helping girls find a great dress for prom night. Jazmin Worthey, a junior at Aloha High School, is helping prom dresses find a home. And while she’s doing this good dead, she’s also helping young ladies, not just at her high school but throughout Jazmin Worthey with some of the prom dresses she collected. the Portland Metro area, find their dream dress for prom night as well. This past spring Worthey, recognizing a need for her classmates to find affordable dresses for their big night, organized a fashion show/dress give-away at her school. She collected used dresses from girls she knew and gathered some donations of new dresses from some local stores. “Most times girls just wear their dress once and then they never use it again,” says Worthey. “I understand it’s hard for everyone to afford to go to prom—prom is crazy expensive! I thought, if I could help take away one expense, it would make it better.” The idea is that once a dress has been worn it can be donated and worn again the next year. And girls can pick out a new dress at no cost. Everybody wins—the girls and the dresses! As Worthey was planning her fashion show last month, she collected forty-three dresses. Then the Oregonian showed up and published a story about her project. “The morning the article appeared I started getting calls from people with dresses to donate,” explains Worthey. “In two days I had over 200 dresses!” The day of the fashion show started with 213 dresses. “Everyone that came to the show left with a dress,” says Worthy. Worthey says she had dresses from size 0-38 and ended the day with eighty dresses left over. Since then she has given away even more. The week before the Vernonia Prom, Catherine Helmer, a Vernonia resident who works in the Beaverton School District and had heard about Worthey’s project delivered twelve dresses that Worthey donated to VHS. Worthey grew up in Clatskanie, so she has a connection to Columbia County. “I understand how hard it is to get a prom dress for girls up there, the fashion show again next year and will invite any and all girls to attend the event and pick out a dress. “I want to make it more well known next year and get more communities involved,” she VHS students and staff display some of the prom dresses that were donated to the school. especially for girls in Vernonia or Clatskanie,” says Worthey. “Sometimes it’s hard for them to get out and go shopping where they will have choices.” And that’s where her motto fits in--”No Cute Dress Should Go To Waste.” “I didn’t want the focus to be on people not being able to afford it—I wanted it to be about making it accessible,” says Worthey. “It’s really nice to be able to help out other kids.” Worthey says she plans to hold says. What about after she graduates? Worthey says her Marketing Class teacher plans to make it part of the class curriculum, and will teach the project to students each year so it keeps going. Worthey also says she plans to train a younger student next year to take her place. “I never expected it to get this big,” says Worthey. “But I’m really glad it did.” Alex Miller Still Raising Funds For Australia Trip Alexander Miller, a senior and student athlete at Jewell High School, has the chance to make a trip of a lifetime. He just needs to raise a few more dollars. Miller, who played middle linebacker for Jewell’s Division 1A, eight-man team has been chosen to take part in the 23 rd Annual Down Under Football Competition in Australia. Miller will compete as part of the National West Central Conference Football team along with other athletes from Oregon and Washington. Miller was selected in part because he led the state this past season with an average of over fifteen tackles per game. Miller says he didn’t even start playing football until his junior year. “They don’t usually pick players from 1A schools,” said Miller--so this really is a special opportunity for him. Actually, Miller says he did try to play organized football in eighth grade but his school didn’t have enough players to field a team. “We didn’t play any games, we just practiced,” explained Miller. Down Under Sports Tournaments are hosted each year in June and July in Australia and New Zealand and bring together athletes from the United States, Australia, and New Zealand to participate. Miller’s trip would consist of one day in Sydney, six days on Australia’s Gold Coast competing, and three days of relaxing and experiencing the Polynesian culture of Hawaii. Prior standout participants of the Down Under Football Competition include, Jake “The Snake” Plummer—former quarterback for the Denver Broncos, Ahman Green—running back for the Green Bay Packers, and Rob Morris—2007 Super Bowl Champion with the Indianapolis Colts. Miller is raising funds for his trip through sponsorships. So far he has raised about $3000; he still needs $1400 before the end of May to have enough to attend the trip. The money he raises will go towards paying for his airfare, hotel, meals, uniform, tournament fees, transportation, and insurance. Miller says he intends to join the Navy after he returns from his trip. For more information go to www. DownUnder Sports.com. Donations can be made to Alexander Miller online at www.DownUnderSports.com-select sponsor. You can also send a check made out to “International Sports Specialists, Inc.” and send to Alexander Miller, 13753 Hwy 202, Mist, OR 97016. KELLY WESTON 503-429-6203 ARTHUR STRAND INSURANCE INC. TOLL FREE 877-602-2345 LONG BEACH, WA 98631
