T4A Nonprofit Mission
We are Tulle 4 All, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. T4A is led by a passionate group of ladies who believe that all brides deserve to have their dream wedding. The T4A mission is to honor deserving educators and frontline health care workers with free wedding gowns at annual gown giveaway events.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the stress on our educators and medical workers is greater than ever. For instance, teachers face the challenges of limited resources, engaging students while virtual learning, and maintaining social distance between students. Health care workers face an increased workload, longer and more frequent shifts, lack of PPE, and an increased risk of infection.
It is our hope that the gift of a free wedding dress alleviates the stress and financial burden that comes with planning a wedding. Additionally, we want to show our gratitude for the amazing contributions of our educators and health care workers.
T4A Values
T4A nonprofit is about women uplifting and empowering other women, giving back to the community and making brides’ dreams come true with the gift of a free wedding gown. Our events are a celebration of women in the education and health care fields and their important contributions to society. We want to put a smile on each of their faces and make sure they feel appreciated.
We operate our organization with full transparency and believe in non-discrimination, equality, and paying it forward. With our T4A retail store, we are able to bring everything full circle. Brides can purchase a wedding gown at a discounted price to provide a wedding dress for a deserving medical worker or educator bride-to-be.
T4A History
After a perceived lack of support for educators, we created our Tulle 4 Teachers gown giveaway event in 2018 to gift free wedding dresses to engaged educators. After the success of our 2018 and 2019 Tulle 4 Teacher events, we made it official and achieved 501(c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit status.
When COVID-19 reached our community in March 2020, our gown giveaway for frontline health care workers was a visceral response for what we needed to do next. We gained national media attention for our 2020 Health Care Heroes Gown Giveaway. As a result, we received over 600 applications from health care workers battling the coronavirus pandemic across the United States. From there, we narrowed the applicants to 75 deserving brides.
Over the span of three years, we have gifted over 300 wedding gowns to deserving brides-to-be. In 2024, we hope to increase the number of brides we can reach by enlisting the help of bridal salons across the United States. Bridal salons can now partner with T4A to host their own gown giveaway honoring educator and/or health care worker brides with free wedding gowns.
T4A Leadership
Alexandra Fleear
Chair
Alexandra “Alex” Fleear is the chair and founder of Tulle 4 All, a non-profit committed to serving educators and healthcare workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. Alex has over 11 years of experience in the bridal industry and is the owner of Ava Clara Couture Bridal. She has a strong community focus and has hosted annual gown giveaways since she opened her boutique in 2010. In 2018, after perceiving a lack of support and programs for teachers, Alex organized her first gown giveaway for educators, Tulle 4 Teachers, and initiated the foundation of her own non-profit organization, Tulle 4 All. She has a B.S. in Communication and B.A. in Theatre from the University of Miami.