Rene Spallina & Cynthia Jackson
FairyGodmothers of Greater Rochester
Dec 8, 2005
Rene Spallina and Cynthia Jackson are two moms on a mission. Their mission… to create a lifetime memory for some very deserving young ladies in their community. After seeing a story on Oprah about a program that provided prom dresses for financially challenged high school girls, they set out to create their own program in their community. Just three short months later, with the help of Fairy Godmother Joyce Jesko, Rene and Cynthia launched their FairyGodmother program in January 2004. This dynamic duo drew from their work and life experiences to make their program unique. Rene is a small business owner and former special events coordinator for a fortune 500 company, while Cynthia worked as a sales manager for an upscale retail store and personal shopper for another. Their focus is to create a dream shopping experience for each girl who attends their program. In addition to the dress, each girl is treated like Cinderella for a day.
With the help of family and friends they waved their magic wands to make dreams come true for 73 high school girls in the basement of a local church in April of that same year. After seeing the faces of the girls and their families enriched by this program as well as seeing the reaction of the volunteers as they helped the girls choose their treasures, they set out to make it even more far reaching in the following year. Since the program began, they have helped hundreds of girls in the greater Rochester area. Their prom fair is now hosted by the Rochester Riverside Convention Center. They have been reaching into the community for help from other women to make this program grow. The YMCA, The Junior League, local TV and radio stations, area businesses, schools, sewing guilds and more have pitched in to make their prom fair a one of a kind.
In addition to the program they have designed for high school girls they have been able to create some magic moments for other women in their community. Among some of their favorite success stories was dressing several members of the Special Olympics Women’s Choir for a ball in NYC. Another, was making sure the recipient of the Monroe County ARC foundation’s Make a Wish Program looked like a true princess when she rode in the Lilac Parade this past year.
When they aren't making dreams come true or creating magic moments, they're studying probability theory and trying their
luck at the lottery. Thus far, they've had some wins but nothing notable.
Although they originally planned on making this a “one day a week kind of job”, this has become a full time passion for both ladies.
Contact Information
Fairy Godmothers of Greater Rochester
PO Box 132
Victor, NY 14564
