In the wake of a fire that completely destroyed Elegant Bridal Boutique in Pocono Township, Pennsylvania, destroying dozens of bride’s already-paid-for dream dresses, Amanda Ramirez of nearby Coolbaugh Township could only think of the brides. Her heart went out to all those brides who wouldn’t have dresses for their upcoming nuptials and she wanted to do something to help.
So Amanda went to the Pocono Moms Facebook group page and offered up a white dress that she had laying around for any bride who lost her dress in the fire. "I really was not expecting what followed,” Ramirez recalls, “Like 500 likes and hundreds of comments and then all the other posts that came after it. Of all the women donating their dresses for free."
Sol Quinones was one of the people who saw Ramirez’s post and decided to follow suit, offering up some dresses. "She just sparked something in me, and I'm like, I'm not going to wear these dresses again. They're just sitting in my closet. I might as well give it to a good cause," she says.
So what started out as an unfortunate loss, Amanda and her donation has turned into a community effort with dozens of women rallying to save strangers weddings.