Dreams come true for students, thanks to peers from Henrico school

, and Special to the Citizen

May 18, 2022 . 9:57 PM

2 min read

Although no spells have been involved, for the past 16 years the Fairy Godmother Program of The Collegiate School in Henrico has been providing students of JFBHS (a non-profit that treats children with severe mental health disorders) the once-in-a-lifetime experience to go to prom.

JFBHS residents had smiles stretching from ear to ear as Collegiate students helped each one find the perfect prom ensemble, according to JFBHS Vice President of Advancement Tod Balsbaugh.

“With so many negative things going out on in the world it’s really nice to see people get out there and make someone’s day better and make them feel valued,” Balsbaugh said.

The Collegiate School students also shared the sense of joy, while holding up mirrors and watching each JFBHS student light up as they tried on dresses and accessories.

“It was really cool seeing their individual personalities shine through which dresses they picked out,” Collegiate junior and Fairy Godmother Program student leader Kate Lansing said.

While prom takes place in May each year, members of the Fairy Godmother Program work year-round collecting gently used prom attire and raising enough funds to eventually raid the Dillard’s sales section to get as many prom dresses and accessories as they can, said Collegiate School faculty advisor Helen Markiewicz.

Collegiate School student volunteers set up a booth to assist with makeup. (Courtesy Jackson-Field Behavioral Services)

The Fairy Godmother Program was created in 2006 by a Collegiate School parent who was involved with JFBHS, Markiewicz said. Since then, the program has continued to evolve and served about 30 JFBHS residents this year alone.

According to Markiewicz, Collegiate students find the experience very rewarding and come back year after year with new ideas for how to make the next prom even better for JFBHS residents. A red carpet and fashion show are even in the works for next year to make the JFBHS residents feel even more special, Lansing said.

For Abby Bauhan, a Collegiate junior and the Fairy Godmother Program co-president, the payoff this year was especially great after the prom was cancelled the last two years because of COVID-19.

“After all the work we put into getting enough donations and getting people involved, it was really great to see it actually get to happen again,” Bauhan said.