New dresses for classic homes

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Charles Dickens
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  Every year members of Columbus Air Force Base volunteer to help the local community during the Annual Spring Pilgrimage in Columbus. Volunteers help alter and fit dresses, help host the antebellum homes throughout Columbus and fill in wherever else is necessary during the two-week long event.
This year things have changed a bit as the Columbus Spouse's Club has taken their operations to a whole new level. The CSC has begun making their own dresses in addition to altering and repairing other dresses that have been obtained through previous years or have been recently donated.
"All of the dresses have either been made from donations or have been revamped and reconstructed prom dresses that people have donated," said Chris Stater, honorary advisor of the Columbus Spouse's Club. "We have not outright purchased any dresses; all of them have been made by volunteers."
These new dresses have been made possible through donations of bed skirts, sheets, shower curtains and many other sources of nice fabric.
"If we have a prom dress that gets donated to us, we can take apart the seams and add a panel of fabric, add something here and there and put some lace on it," said Stater.
The process of creating and repairing these dresses is no quick and easy feat and requires significant preparation and planning.
"It takes us a month and a half before the Pilgrimage begins to get everything ready, make repairs, make any new dresses," said Stater.
This preparation is only made possible by the number of volunteers the CSC manages to get to help with the dress shop and the tours in Columbus.
"It takes about 100 people to volunteer in the homes and then another 15 to help us with the fitting and run the dress shop," said Stater.
The CSC has worked to create and maintain over 75 dresses and plans to be ready to help make the 72nd Spring Pilgrimage one to remember.