Cape Cod seamstress donates prom gowns to girls in foster care

BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. — Spring is a busy season for Regina Hapgood. Regina is a seamstress and owns her own small business called “Ma Dukes Alterations” out of her home in Buzzards Bay.

Regina collects donated prom dresses and offers them to girls in foster care. “For them to come and pick out the dress they want and for me to do the alterations, they get to be princess for the night and it’s amazing. It’s been very rewarding,” she said.

Regina has been a foster parent for 10 years and has fostered about a dozen children. She doesn’t ask for prom pictures in order to protect each girl’s identity. Regina says a lot of girls don’t want anyone to know they can’t afford a dress, so this is her way of shielding them. “I think they appreciate it a lot more because they’ve been in foster care for so long and a lot of them have not had the best of lives, so if I can make them feel special, then why not? Doesn’t every girl want to feel special, whether it be prom or any other day?’ she said.

Regina says she did not attend her high school prom, so she’s paying it forward and giving the girls a prom memory they’ll never forget. “The world is a cruel place, especially for young girls. They need to feel special and if I can make one night for them to feel special, then it’s awesome,” she said.

Regina has collected and donated 55 prom dresses this spring.

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