Special occasion dresses can be quit costly and often out of reach for underprivileged teens, which is why

Robin Bernardoni and her 17-year-old daughter Andi started the Twirl Foundation.

“We wanted to bring in dresses from manufacturers that we could donate,” Robin Bernardoni said.

With her connections that initial idea is coming to fruition.

Bernardoni, owner of Runway Boutique and Twirl — a special occasion boutique in El Dorado Hills, has received donations from her manufacturers and from several of her clients.

“We shot out a letter to our customers, more than a thousand of them, for their gently worn special occasion dresses,” Bernardoni said.

The idea will be to eventually find an avenue to distribute the loaner gowns.

“We would like to be able to loan then out so that others can wear them at a later date,” she said.

Donations can be brought to Twirl, 1000 White Rock Road, Suite 200, in the Montana shopping center.

~ Penne Usher