Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - St. Brians Clothiers, a charitable organization and haberdashery currently operating via pop-up shop all throughout the City of Buffalo has partnered with the Buffalo Sabres and the city to accept donations of free prom suits and shoes for Buffalo school student-athletes in addition to mentorship just in time for prom.
"It's a program aimed to prepare student-athletes for their future. We talk to them about the present situation, their present self and what they can do to preserve their future self," says St. Brians Founder Dewitt Lee III, who emphasizes it's much more than just making sure the students are dressed for success.
"This particular program speaks to kids about the consequences of drinking and driving, consequences being around people who are doing illegal activities. We talk about sexual assault, we touch on social media responsibilities and we touch on a lot of other areas that we feel like don't get addressed because it's a little uncomfortable."
Lee has been giving his presentations not only physically inside our local schools like Lafayette High School on Tuesday, but he has also been giving his presentations virtually to make sure that all the kids can have a safe and happy prom night.
Lee notes that there are true, sad stories of students losing their scholarships because of their actions and what they say on social media. Lee wants to ensure that those opportunities are not squandered by the Buffalo youth.
"It's hard to get them to stop and pay attention. We can use this as an opportunity to drop in some knowledge, some wisdom, some experience, this is the time to do it. And we know there's so many horror stories, which I've showed them. We're not making this up. This is happening in real time."
This project all started over two years ago, when a spotlight on Lee's charitable efforts augmented during the horrific Tops mass shooting on May 14, 2022. Lee was fitting free suits for young men who were attending funerals and job interviews, it just so happened that the dastardly day coincided with prom season and Lee already had a calling to buy suits from thrift stores prior to the events of 5/14.
"We found that taking time to dress someone, you get to also get a special opportunity to address what's going on in their lives," notes Lee.
Lee sees helping style a community in addition to mentoring was just a small way he could help his community in a big way, especially at times when they need it the most.
"It's a responsibility, it's embedded. It's what my father did, it's what my mother did as a nurse for decades. I've watched and heard stories of their servitude to the community. And it's a responsibility for everyone to respond, right? Not responding is not an option. Right? So however you respond, just make sure you do."
On Saturday, the lower foyer of the KeyBank Center will be turned into a St. Brians storefront. Buffalo teenagers will be getting some step-by-step guidance to style themselves for the perfect prom night.
"They're gonna go through the stations, they're gonna get their shirts, they're gonna find their suits, we're going to pick their ties, grab the shoes and handkerchief and whatever other fine tuning we could do to it. And we're gonna have a lot of men who have helped me during this journey come here to help dress these men because that experience is most important. We're not going to just say, 'Hey, you know, go pick it, and good luck, right?' They're going to be accompanied by someone who's been to prom before and share wisdom and guidance with them and just build fellowship," said Lee.
Buffalo Sabres is accepting suit jackets, dress pants, dress shirts, belts, ties, and/or dress shoes through Saturday, May 23, just pass by the ticket counter and go into account services.
Most Popular
Comments / 0