Sell of dresses to help Tharptown students

By Staff
Melissa Cason
THARPTOWN – Tharptown High School will host the 4th annual Prom and Pageant Consignment Sale today at the school's new gym beginning at 1:30 p.m.
Consignment volunteer Nicole Ergle said the sale is designed to make prom and pageant dresses more affordable for girls.
"It's better to sell the dresses than have them hang in the closet," Ergle said.
The consigners will receive 90 percent of what each dress sells for with the other 10 percent going to cover advertising costs.
"This is not a fundraiser," former organizer Susie Sellers said. "It's so girls can afford to participate in pageants and go to prom without it costing a small fortune."
The Tharptown Pageant will be held Feb. 9 at 6 p.m.
"This year will be the first year we crown a Miss Wildcat," Ergle said.
The pageant is open to all female students with divisions ranging from kindergarten through 11th grade.
"Even though we don't have a senior class this year, we will be crowning a Miss Wildcat that night."
In addition to the upcoming pageant, the prom and pageant consignment sale comes at a time in which the junior class is preparing for the school's first prom.
"The prom will be at the Marriott on March 14," prom sponsor Linda Lindsey said.
The theme for this year's prom will be A Night to Remember, complete with the stars, moon and an Eiffel Tower.
"We are still working on it," Lindsey said. "We are trying to raise enough money so that we can have a night prom this year."
Several dresses have already been dropped off for the consignment, but organizers will accept dresses today prior to the start of the sale.
"All dresses need to be tagged with the size, name, phone number of seller and price," Sellers said.