Standing in front of the mirror with curlers in her hair, Casey Spencer ‘17 prepares for another “Dress up Friday”. Along with slipping on a new dress and pair of flats, Spencer does everything she can to make sure that she looks her best.

She was not alone. Many of the girls in the Senior class dressed to the 9’s every Friday and wondered why, here is your answer. They most likely are among the girls who are participating in Femuary, a month filled with fancy clothes and positive attitudes that helps to raise money for an organization called The Unforgotten Haven .

This year organized by Homecoming Queen Olivia Smithson ’17, the charity event involves the Seniors dressing up everyday in the month of February, and on Friday’s especially, they wear their best to help raise money. Many of the Seniors walk around the lunch rooms during their study hall or lunch period to collect donations for The Unforgotten Haven, and to spread positivity and happiness.

The charity Femuary is raising money for is an organization devoted to helping families in need, no matter what the trouble is. Their slogan “helping anyone who has been forgotten” promotes positivity and love, which is the mindset the girls of Femuary try to adopt throughout the month. They run a food bank, a secondhand clothing store, and are located in a small building in Blackwood, NJ. The organization is 100% run on donations, and they have helped thousands of families in the South Jersey area and all across the state.

There are certain unspoken rules to this tradition that many of the girls try to take seriously.

1. On Wednesdays, each girl wears pink.
2. Each Friday is a day where there are no exceptions, everyone dresses up.
3. During the week, the girls are allowed to dress down and be comfortable, but only for one day of their choosing.
4. The girls should be mindful of how they act towards others and must present themselves like ladies, no cursing or spreading negativity towards others during the month.
5. Each Femuary member has to change their Twitter name to say Miss. First and Middle name, telling everyone that they’re strong women who are part of an amazing charity event.

“I always looked forward to the month of February even when I wasn’t a Senior, I loved to see all the girls dressed up and looking fancy. It’s for a great cause and it’s nice to see everyone in the class come together to support it.” Spencer ‘17 said.

For each girl, Femuary means something different, whether it’s the chance to feel confident and be able to express yourself, or the livelihood that it brings to be able to come together as a class.

“For me, Femuary is about everyone coming together for a common cause, we all put aside our differences to make a change and to help raise money. Dressing up is just part of the fun, and it’s great to see everyone’s cute pictures on Instagram every Friday.” Kaeley Bogan ‘17 said. “We all work together to make it a great and rewarding experience.”

Along with wearing pink on Wednesday’s and dressing up on Friday’s, Smithson initiatedcertain theme days throughout the month. The first theme day takes place on February 24th, with each of the girls required to wear plaid shirts, mimicking last month’s Manuary Friday’s.

Manuary is the Senior guys version of Femuary that took place in January, where each Friday they dressed as lumber jacks, and on the weekends they got together for a morning of chopping down trees, and ordering the lumberjack breakfast at Denny’s every Sunday. Along with the Femuary girls, they raise money for a charity of their choice, this year’s donations going towards men’s prostate cancer.

“ Femuary is not only a yearly tradition meant to raise money for great charities and organizations, it’s also a time to bring everyone together in the Senior class, and to celebrate what it means to be a woman and to be unique and embrace yourself in the best ways.” Sam Morad ’17 said.