New Jersey County Gives Away Wedding Dresses to Veterans and Local Responders for Free

"We wanted to just say thank you, and we wanted to help them for their special day," the New Jersey Camden County commissioner told Good Morning America

A heartwarming event happened in a New Jersey county last week as dozens of free wedding dresses were gifted to veterans and first responders.

According to Good Morning America, the "Salute the Dress" event took place on Feb. 13 at the Camden County Boathouse in Pennsauken, New Jersey. After going on hiatus due to the pandemic, the event resumed this year. Its inception dates back to 2019, when a local bridal boutique, Alfred Angelo, closed down in 2017 leaving behind leftover dresses that were generously donated to the state.

"It had started in 2019 when we had the first bridal dress giveaway and we had 500 dresses that were donated to the county," Camden County commissioner Melinda Kane shared with GMA.

The commissioner emphasized that hosting the event was the least the county could do to express gratitude to the women for their service. She added, "Many women serve in the military. It's not just a man that puts on the uniform and goes to defend our country."

"We wanted to just say thank you, and we wanted to help them for their special day," she continued.

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Among the fortunate brides-to-be was Amala Sanders, a retired Army motor sergeant, who recounted hearing about the event through a friend. Sanders shared that she tried on multiple dresses before finding the perfect one.

"I was nervous and excited. I didn't know what to expect, and I thought it was just gonna be one of those 'hurry up and grab-and-run' things, and so when I got there, it was a really amazing experience," Sanders, 50, told GMA. "I had a wonderful person that helped me throughout the whole process, and she did a really amazing job."

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Describing her chosen dress, Sanders said, "It's a beautiful dress. It [has a] mermaid-style flare out at the bottom. It fit well at the top. It's really nice. It has a little bling in there, a little dazzle, a little sparkle, a little shine."

"It's amazing and they made me feel absolutely gorgeous. So thumbs up all the way and I salute them," she added.

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