A modern-day version of Cinderella has played out at a regional Western Australian high school after it was inundated with clothing donations for students wishing to attend their school ball.
The fairy godmother in this story is Kambalda West District High School principal Candice Brown, who put the word out on social media to ensure every student could attend the "rite of passage".
Her Facebook post asking for help on May 9, just 12 days before this Friday's ball, resulted in donations of more than 100 dresses and other formal wear, including shirts, vests and shoes.
Ms Brown described the response as "overwhelming".
"It just started on a whim because we were worried about some students not being able to go to the ball," she said.
She said the donations had reduced the pressure for students and families as the cost of glamming up for the ball could be cost prohibitive for some .
"It's hard to buy a ball dress in town in Kambalda, or even in Kalgoorlie," Ms Brown said.
"If you go [buy] online, it may not arrive in time, but we also became aware that some students said they weren't coming to the ball and we wanted to make sure there were no road blocks."
A social media request for help
Ms Brown asked on Facebook if anybody had any spare dresses, "so we could make a wardrobe, where the students could borrow dresses from us".
A church from nearby Kalgoorlie donated 20 dresses, while an anonymous donor also contributed $500 to a Kalgoorlie fashion outlet for the students.
Ms Brown said she had been contacted by schools in Perth, and the Hilton and Springfield primary schools were being used as drop-off points for donations.
"I remember when my own children went to the ball," she said.
"It's an exciting time and a time to let your hair down and have a great time with your friends.
"The dresses are special, but they don't belong in the cupboard and I am sure people would like to see them put to good use."
She said the "closet" they were making would allow girls to borrow the dresses and bring them back so they could be cleaned.
"We will have a range of dresses for next year and so they won't have to wear the same dresses again," Ms Brown said.
"We've also got some clothes that children can wear to job interviews and hopefully this can set them up for the future."
