Our History

How it All Started

The magic began in March 2005 when five friends from Dublin, Ohio were on a trip to Chicago. While there, they became aware of The Glass Slipper Project which is an organization that gifts prom dresses and accessories free of charge to high school girls in need in the Chicago area.

The First Boutique

After returning to Columbus, these women could not get the thought of how happy the students must be and how wonderful it would be to create that same joy for high school students in Columbus. Within five months, these resourceful women organized Fairy Goodmothers, formed a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and held their first fundraiser.  They secured and cleaned a vacant warehouse space on Spring Street in downtown Columbus for the first Cinderella’s Closet Boutique in Spring 2006. Prom gowns, shoes, and accessories were collected, and Fairy Goodmothers actively promoted the news that free prom dresses and accessories were available. Success! Over 200 students received prom gowns and accessories at that first event.

The Founding Fairies

The Founding Fairies: These five women—Lynn Boston, Casey Cseplo, JoAnne Holdreith, Barb Tingle and Kay Wilhelm—are our original Founding Fairies. They developed our mission and made it happen. JoAnne Holdreith was the creative thinking behind the Fairy Goodmothers’ name, and Linda Kick, who was active for several years with the Fairies, dubbed our event the Cinderella’s Closet Boutique (CCB).

That first year, the Fairies recruited volunteers; among them Peggy Buckles, Terri Butler (our loyal photographer) Kathleen Haunty (who brought the graphic design ability of her husband Jack) and Marcia Garvey. Their expertise catapulted the Fairies even further. The next year dedicated volunteers who worked tirelessly to achieve continued success included; Toni Carter, Jill Fergus, Tanya Irelan, Tracy McCallister, Marcy Orchard, Mary Slane, and Betsy Willi. These women became future leaders of the organization and were later joined by Anne Houser, Lisa Esham, Judy Smith, Emily Riemer, Sherry Kish, Jenna Homan and Karina Nova, plus numerous others. Many of these women are still involved in Fairy Goodmothers today.

Today

Currently, Fairy Goodmothers has approximately 250 volunteers involved throughout the year, and has gifted more than 20,000 gowns from its first Cinderella’s Closet in 2006 through the 2025 prom season. All this joy resulting from the vision of five friends on a group trip to Chicago.