Eighth-grader collected 400 graduation dresses. She's giving them all away.

In just two weeks time, Edythe J. Hayes eighth-grader Gracie Di Nardo collected more than 400 new and lightly-worn dresses and 150 pairs of shoes so girls across Lexington could have the graduation outfit of their dreams at no charge.

She called her initiative “Giving Grace” and it came to fruition Tuesday afternoon in a community center at Derbytowne Apartments on Bainbridge Drive where fifth, eighth and 12th grade graduates-to-be and their families chose sparkly dresses, lacy dresses, tailored dresses, and little black dresses for graduation.

Gracie tagged most of the clothes with special messages she handwrote for the girls, such as “You are loved”, “You are strong,” and “You are beautiful.”

“Everybody’s really wanting the perfect dress,” Gracie said as she watched the girls and their families shop.

Some school counselors had notified high school seniors about the Giving Grace project.

Booker T. Washington Elementary fifth grader Sabrina Ortega found a dressy dress that still had the store tags on it.

“It matches my personality,” Sabrina said.

Southern Middle School eighth-grader Rasia Groves was looking for “something plain, nothing major.”

Her mother Aretha Fischer was impressed by the project. “I think it’s awesome,” she said.

It all started in early May when Gracie and her mother Karla Di Nardo were talking about how fortunate Gracie was to have a new dress for a dance and for graduation.

“We know that some girls don’t have the resources to buy their own dress so we thought we would start this dress drive so everybody would feel special on their special day,” said Gracie, 13.

The project’s name has a double meaning in that it was named after Gracie and also refers to “giving your blessing onto others,” she said.

Gracie took her idea to Carla Jackson, director of Hayes Middle Schools’ Youth Services Center. Jackson thought the project fit in perfectly with the work she was doing with Sarah Yates, the Family Resource Center Director at both Garrett Morgan and Athens Chilesburg Elementary schools and with Urban County Council member Preston Worley to bring more opportunities to students, particularly those living in east Lexington around Bainbridge Drive.

The center directors and Worley and his assistant Renea Buckles spread the word, inviting girls to Tuesday’s shopping event, and asking people to donate. Social media posts helped bring in dresses, Karla DiNardo said. Gracie is on two volleyball teams and she said her teammates helped too.

Karla Di Nardo said at first the idea was just to provide eighth-grade girls with free dresses “ but then as it got bigger Ms. Jackson took it to other schools and other resource directors.”

On Tuesday, in addition to dresses and shoes, girls could also shop for belts, headbands, handbags and sweaters as a result of the wide range of donations. One family donated some of their late mother’s jewelry collection.

Other people contributed homecoming and prom dresses so girls would have them for next school year.

Karla DiNardo thinks a future effort might include a prom dress drive.

And Jackson said there will be another opportunity for students to shop before this year’s graduation ceremonies -- at 5:30 to 7 p.m. May 29 at the new Woodhill Community Center at 422 Codell Drive.

“I’ve seen some really happy little girls,” she said.

This story was originally published May 23, 2018 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Eighth-grader collected 400 graduation dresses. She's giving them all away.."