Thousands of formal wear items have been donated to a community organisation to ensure all students and staff can celebrate their special night equally.

While some might be doing it tough financially, or just can’t find that perfect dress, shoes, suits, bags, or jewellery, the Lake Tuggeranong and Canberra Valley Lions clubs are stepping in to help.

Other groups and businesses assisted, along with politicians Katy Gallagher, David Pocock and Mark Parton.

Operation Formal Wear aims to provide students in Canberra and the surrounding region with beautiful formal wear for their end-of-year celebration.

Teachers can also pick up items for graduation, all free of charge, at Lions Youth Haven, Kambah Pool Road, on 18-19 October.

Lake Tuggeranong Lions Club president Yvette Rydman said there was more of a reliance on the service this year due to many families struggling with the cost of living.

“Yeah, absolutely,” she said.

Ms Rydman said one of her fellow Lions members calculated that about $700 per person was saved, with a total estimate of $240,000 over the last two years, since Operation Formal Wear began in 2023.

“Go in and find what you like. Go and try it on, there’s change rooms out the back,” she said.

Once they find what they want, attendees can head to the checkout for the item to be marked off.

And if you can’t decide what to grab, there will be help on hand.

“We’ve got the stylist, Lauren Bush, she’ll be there from 10am to 1pm on the Saturday to help people sort themselves out if they’re not sure.

“So that’s a really good time to come if you don’t really know what you’re what you’re doing.”

Ms Rydman said it was wonderful for the community to get behind the cause with thousands of items donated.

“We’ve had a lot of support from the community,” she said.

“It’s so good. It takes the whole community to make this happen.

“When we’ve done our barbecues at Bunnings, we’ve opened it up as a drop-off point as well and people have brought stuff out there.

“We get lots of nice messages from people saying, ‘Oh, this is just so wonderful,’ or ‘Thank you so much for doing this,’ and all that sort of thing.”

Operation Formal Wear will run at Lions Youth Haven on Saturday 18 October from 10am-4pm and Sunday 19 October from 10am-3pm.

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