A high school student in Surrey has made a bold fashion choice in the name of humanitarian efforts.
Courtney Barich decided to wear a burlap prom dress to raise money for a Filipino orphanage. Barich, a grade 12 student at Holy Cross Regional School, dropped the plan to wear her dream red chiffon dress after returning from a trip to the Philippines where she saw kids sleeping in garbage bags and living in extreme poverty.
At first she said her friends were uncertain about her decision to forego a traditional prom outfit.
“In the beginning they were kind of hesitant to the idea of me doing the whole burlap dress idea, but in the end everyone came together and they were very supportive,” Barich said.
A dress designer found out about Barich’s fundraiser and decided to contribute to the project. Barich said the final product was better than she had expected and will be a surprise to her friends.
“They thought like, ‘potato sack, burlap?’ They were all kind of confused by the concept,” she said, “They’re not going to expect a dress like this.”
The one-shoulder floor-length dress has a ruched bodice and is adorned with pink flower details. Her prom date also got in the spirit and wore a burlap vest and bowtie with his suit.
A total of $7500 was raised for the St. Martin De Porres Orphanage. The money will go towards essential items including beds and clothing for the children.
Barich plans to deliver the money when she returns to the Philippines in September.
