A room full of gowns, tables full of shoes, and hundreds of accessories to choose from: welcome to the Cinderella Project’s Boutique Day, a charity-run event that works to make prom night a magical experience for underprivileged students.

For B.C. teens who can't afford to buy a graduation dress or suit, many will skip the milestone event entirely. But the Cinderella Project is working to make the dreams of Grade 12 students come true by giving them the opportunity to attend their ceremonies in style.

The premise of Boutique Day is simple: at-risk youth get to choose their own graduation outfit, accessories, and make-up from hundreds of choices at the Pinnacle Hotel Vancouver Harbourfront – and it’s all free.

“I have always wanted to feel special for a day,” said 19-year-old Demi Gray-Wise, mother of two-year-old twin boys and one of the almost 200 students taking part in Sunday’s event. “I have pictures of the dresses I want to try.”

More than 20 per cent of Canadian youth live below the poverty line, something the Cinderella Project aims to counter. Each of the students taking part has overcome adversity, and is also matched with a fairy Godmother or Godfather to provide them one-on-one mentorship.

Students like 17-year-old Gabriel Ratcliff, a Burnaby South student who’s committed to his academics, dreams of playing soccer professionally, and has already faced difficult challenges.

“As hard and as dark as it got, I thought about my dream, I thought about my goals, and I thought about people I care about,” he said.

“I've never owned a suit before actually, and just to hear I’d have an opportunity to own one and to have one is exciting.”

Organizers say the event is made possible through community donations, and is about more than the outfits.

“Many [of these students] will be the first in their family to have ever graduated from high school,” said Heather MacKenzie, who founded the Cinderella Project 18 years ago after brainstorming ways to end the cycle of poverty in her community.

“The time these youth are spending with adult mentors is what the magic is all about.”

The students taking part in this year’s event agree.

“I have two [little] boys, I go to school every day, and I feel like this is my reward,” said Gray-Wise, who dreams of becoming a psychiatric nurse.

“I’ve never been treated like this, I’ve never had an experience like this… I’ve been really looking forward to this day.”

With files from CTV Vancouver’s Michele Brunoro