Dressember fundraiser surpasses goal, still raising funds to fight human trafficking

This year, Concordia University, Nebraska’s Lighthouse club is participating in Dressember. Dressember is an organization that raises awareness and funds for victims of human trafficking by having participants wear a dress or tie for the month of December.  

The organization was started in 2012 as a style challenge. The founder of the company, Blythe Hill, was initially challenged by a friend to wear dresses for a month. She then decided to connect the style challenge to a cause and began to raise money. After this, she decided to make Dressember into a nonprofit. 

Since then, Dressember has expanded significantly. Together, the organization has raised over 18 million dollars in funds that have gone towards preventing human trafficking, raising awareness and funds that go towards advocacy, intervention, and empowerment of trafficking victims.  

Last year, Concordia’s Lighthouse club raised a total of $3,000 during Dressember and this year, they have already raised almost $5,000.  

The group attributes this increase to their new and improved fundraising initiatives. During dead week, the club hosted Double Punch Dressember, where 10:31 customers could get two punches on their punch card if they showed they donated to Dressember. That day was also a match day, so every donation people gave was doubled. That day alone, the club raised almost $2,000. 

Even though those numbers are impressive, a lot of the fundraising with Dressember happens when people make one small decision, and then keep going. Greta Corneliusen, a junior participating in Dressember, is a  quintessential example of this.

Greta was on the fence about Dressember, but she decided to join when she overheard the leadership team talking about it. On the last day of November, with only a few dresses in her possession, Greta decided to join the cause.  

 Greta admits there have been challenges. “I learned pretty quickly that I hate tights... They're not very functional or comfortable. I was also worried about the fact that I would run out of outfits, but it becomes easier when you just mix and match.” 

At this point, Greta is the largest earner on the team. Already, she has raised over $1,000 on her own. She attributes this change and her dedication to her personal experience on an internship in Costa Rica. “I chose to do Dressember because during my time in Costa Rica this summer, I got to see a lot of areas that were known for being heavily populated by sex traffickers. I got to talk with a lot of locals and heard about how this was one of the biggest things impacting their country. I’m doing it for all people affected by trafficking, but that demographic is the one I keep in mind to stay motivated.” 

For Greta, it all comes down to human dignity. “Human dignity is God given. It's a valuable gift that should be protected. Everyone should experience the same freedom.”  

List of Members Participating in Dressember:

Esther Molina, sophomore, Norfolk, Neb.

Matthew Koenig, sophomore, Kalispell, Mont.

Brooke Lange, senior, Club Advocacy Coordinator, Concordia, Mo. 

Larissa Embree, senior, Club President, Seward, Neb.

Anna Grass, senior, Seward, Neb.

Meredith Boster, sophomore, Club President in Traning, Fulshear, Texas 

Mason Hodges, freshman, Raymore, Mo.

Avery Lewis, senior, Club Campus Outreach Coordinator, Seward, Neb.

Greta Corneliusen, junior, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Christina Lee, senior, Papillion, Neb. 

Ellie Jander, junior, St. Louis, Mo. 

Jonathan Grass, senior, Seward, Neb.

Nate Demlow, senior, St. Paul, Minn.

Kayla Korb, sophomore, Burley, Idaho

Michelle Hernandez, senior, Schuyler, Neb.

Seanna Patterson, junior, Lincoln, Neb. 

Interested in helping CUNE Lighthouse reach their fundraising goal? Donate here.