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When longtime CBC listener Rennie McDonald heard her favourite station was hosting a clothing drive for grads to look sharp, she was quick to make her way there with a donation.
“It’s a well-made Canadian-made suit, and I thought, ‘yeah, that’s a good cause,'” said McDonald.
Saturday’s clothing drive was a partnership between CBC Calgary and the Trenville Royal Purple Elks, with listeners invited to help grads across Alberta look their best on their big day.
And with more than 160 suits and 535 ties collected, not to mention hundreds of shirts and shoes, it’s safe to say the event was a success.
Do Crew volunteer Kerry McGuinness accepts a few suits donated through the “Duds for Dudes” clothing drive on May 2. (Amir Said/CBC)
Kerry McGuinness, a volunteer with CBC Calgary’s Do Crew, was glad to take part in the weekend clothing drive.
“It’s just awesome to know that the guys will be properly dressed,” she said. “They’ve got lots to choose from, and nobody’s excluded, and I think it’s just an awesome cause.”
CBC Calgary and the Trenville Royal Purple Elks teamed up for a “Duds for Dudes” clothing drive on May 2. (Amir Said/CBC)
Lynn Williams with the Trenville Royal Purple Elks says the group’s long-running Gowns for Grads initiative for female graduates has been majorly successful, so they were eager to do something for boys in this year’s graduating class.
“Duds for Dudes,” she called it.
“We help them out as best we can, and we can get them a suit, shirt and a tie,” Williams said. “We can take an ugly duckling and make them look pretty darn decent.”
The clothes collected in Calgary will be making their way throughout Alberta in time for grad.
“What makes us unique is that we are a mobile unit,” she said. “We go to Elnora, Linden, Delia, Stettler and Red Deer. We contact the schools in that area where we’re going to be, and they come in and take what they need.”
The Trenville Royal Purple Elks support communities throughout central and southern Alberta, including Elnora, Linden, Delia, Stettler and Red Deer. (Amir Said/CBC)
With nearly 100 vehicles arriving to donate formal attire, Williams says the event was a resounding success — and will make a difference in the lives of many.
“It’s pretty touching when a guy comes in with sweat pants and a sweatshirt, and he’s like, ‘I’m here for a suit,'” Williams said.
“And we fit him out, and he looks in the mirror and he goes, “wow, I don’t want to take it off.'”