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Community Corner

Photos: American Girls All Dolled Up

Over the weekend at the Desmond Hotel, 150 local girls took to the catwalk to model clothing from the American Girl franchise.

About 150 local girls took to the runway this weekend in everything from petticoats to bell-bottoms at the American Girl Fashion Show at Malvern's . The , presented this year by the Junior League of Philadelphia, gave girls a chance to dress up as some of their favorite American Girl characters and raised money for the Junior League.

The Junior League of Philadelphia, based in Ardmore, is a women's training and volunteer service organization that is 900 members strong. The League partners with and provides volunteers for various community organizations, and is primarily focused on women's and children's issues.

Partnering with American Girl to host the fashion show was "a natural fit for us," said Jennifer Morgan, assistant to the president at the Junior League.

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"We're really excited about it—American Girl is great company to work with," Morgan said. "They do a lot of community service … and they're all about empowering girls and teaching girls about history and community service … and we thought they were a natural fit for us given our lengthy involvement in community service in the Philadelphia area."

Saturday's festivities included a raffle and a fashion show featuring about 150 local girls. Casting, which began in December, was based on likeness to the American Girl dolls and was first-come-first-served—so keep that information in mind for any aspiring models who might want to sign up for next year's show.

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One of the great things about American Girl, Morgan said, is that the books deal with real issues—including a whole line of books that focus on anti-bullying and self-esteem, positive body image and nutritional health. The current Girl of the Year, McKenna, struggles with reading and dyslexia.

"There's really a doll to represent every girl," Morgan said. "And hopefully, the Junior League represents every girl, too."

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