When Bella King heard about the idea behind the annual Dressember she was immediately intrigued — even if that meant she had to wear a dress every day in December.
The idea is a simple one — wear a dress every day in December to raise awareness about the perils of human trafficking. For some there’s a fundraising element, other just do it to show support, but in the end it’s all about engaging people around the fight to stop the trafficking of people — primarily in the sex trade.
King learned about the movement through social media, and last December, while she was a senior at Tivy High School, she steadfastly wore a dress every day. A year later, King, who is now a freshman at Angelo State, has recruited a broader group of friends — many from Tivy — to help expand the message of the cause.
One of her key allies is her friend Madeline Barton, a home schooled 18-year-old, who is equally dedicated to the effort.
“I’ve wanted to do it for a few years,” Barton said. “I have always been so impressed seeing all of the girls do it and to stand up for the voiceless.”
As part of this year’s mission, King has organized a fundraiser from 1-4 p.m. at The Hunt Store that will feature art works by some of the girls participating, and musical performances by at least two of the girls, including Tivy senior Phoenix Miller, who is a regular performer through the arts movement Big Seed. Any tips generated or proceeds from sales will be given to a group from Texas A&M that is raising money to help fight human trafficking.
The movement started in 2009 by Blythe Hill and has grown to be a multimillion dollar fundraiser that is supported by thousands of women each year. This year the nonprofit Dressember Foundation will have raised $10 million. Men are now encouraged to participate by wearing a tie on a daily basis during the month.
However, for some there’s the question about the dress and here’s how the organization addresses the fashion statement: “The dress or tie serves as the conversation starter to educate your community about human trafficking. Through your personalized campaign page, you’ll be able to share your journey with your community and make a tangible impact in the fight against trafficking. We equip you every step of the way with the tools to become an every day advocate.”
The nonprofit advocates spending the money in three areas: prevention, intervention and protection. The money raised is earmarked for other non-government organizations that are on the front lines of helping free those who have been trafficked, or by providing education to prevent it from happening.
The dress, of course, is definitely a conversation starter.
“I’ve had a few comments about wearing a dress,” said Hailey King, Bella’s 16-year-old sister, who is a sophomore at Tivy. “I just tell them what Dressember is all about.”
The biggest challenge for Hailey King, along with a few of her friends, is just wearing a dress daily. It’s not something that they’ve always had in their wardrobes.
“I wear shorts almost every day — even when it’s 20 degrees,” said Zoe Pelton, also a Tivy junior. “So, this is a little bit awkward for me.”
“I never wear dresses,” Miller said.
Now they’re wearing them and they’re hopefully going to inspire others.
“The past couple of years I’ve seen and heard girls at (Tivy) advocating for it,” said Grace Carlson, 17. “This year when I saw all of the stuff on social media and, especially, Bella King’s post about it I felt really drawn to help spread awareness.”
The Link LonkDecember 12, 2020 at 12:32PM
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Dress with purpose is what drives these young women - dailytimes.com
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