The Cinderella Shop, which supports various hospital programs, is celebrating its 20th anniversary by offering 20% off its products from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today at its Morgan Plaza location, 2145 Pace St # B Covington.
The store sells gently-worn clothes as well as linens, luggage, small decorative items and jewelry, all of which will be on sale. All proceeds go to support Newton Medical Center.
The Cinderella Shop's history began with a trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Peggy Gainer and a group of her friends had been invited by the American Hospital Association to present their award winning fundraising programs to bring in revenue for the local hospital. In the years before, they had directed and produced a stage production at the Porter Auditorium to raise funds for Newton Medical Hospital and to bring in more volunteers.
While at the meeting, Gainer heard another presentation presented that sparked a new interest in her heart. She came up with an idea of a place where people could donate "gentle-worn" clothes for a tax-write off. The clothes would then be sold back to the community for a profit to be used to purchase equipment for the hospital.
Gainer soon received a name from her project from Martha Tanner. The store was called The Cinderella Shop. Originally located on Floyd Street, the store opened on February 28, 1992. During the grand opening, Cinderella, Prince Charming and even the Fairy Godmother were there to greet the public. Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother will be there again tomorrow at 10 a.m. and noon to celebrate the 20th anniversary with all of the crew and customers.
"Just like waving the magic wand, The Cinderella Shop has been transforming wardrobes for ladies over the past twenty years. Maybe not from rags to riches, but the bargain prices have made it possible to be well dressed on a budget," manager Martha Taylor said.
The store later relocated to the Morgan Plaza where it is today. The store received a full make over including a new look on the inside as well as the outside.
"The Cinderella Shop has a wonderful group of ladies who volunteer under the direction of Peggy Chancey, the shop manager. These ladies are helpful and knowledgeable and are there to make shopping enjoyable," Taylor said.
