Belle of the Ball Boutique is helping young girls' dreams come true for the 13th straight year.
The Clearwater based boutique provides dresses, shoes and jewelry for girls to wear to high school dances, who otherwise might not be able to go.
The organization's mission statement is "No girl should be denied the opportunity to attend her high school dance because of financial difficulty."
But last September, the non-profit was burglarized, with hundreds of dollars worth of jewelry stolen. Since that time, volunteers have seen a noticeable uptick in donations from people in the Bay area.
They were even able to help eight churches taking part in Tim Tebow's Night to Shine, a prom for disabled adults, and many other charities like the Cinderella project.
"We have given out about 1000 dresses to those eight organizations," said Joe Marteski, COO and volunteer at the boutique.
Marleski doesn't make a penny off the gowns in the boutique, he says the payoff is greater.
"It's the girls self esteem, it's how she looks and how she feels about herself," he said.
The next four Saturdays, girls in need are welcome to shop for free. And for those who still want to help? Marteski says the boutique is always looking for plus size dresses, 18 and up.
And now knowing those priceless looks on the young girls' faces goes beyond this charity makes it even more exciting for Joe to open the doors.
To learn more about Belle of the Ball Boutique or how you can volunteer, click here. You can also find them on Twitter @TBayBelleofBall or Facebook at Tampa Bay Area Belle of the Ball.
