By Ryan O’Connor
Staff Writer

Shannon Mullen, 7, left, Hannah Provost, 10, Madison Duffy, 10, Zoe Alberici, 6, and Jillian Provost, 8, show off their American Girl Dolls and matching outfits. The girls are from Bow and Concord and will participate in the “American Girl Fashion Show: Styles of Yesterday and Today,” on Nov. 4 and 5. The Junior Service League of Concord is sponsoring the event to benefit women and children in crisis. In addition, local girls can enter a “Dress like your American Girl Doll” contest for a chance to win tickets to the fashion show and other prizes. See story for details. (The Bow Times/Bruce Preston)

Local girls and their American Girl Dolls can help make a difference in the lives of women and children in crisis and, at the same time, learn about the history of women.

To promote the “American Girl Fashion Show: Styles of Yesterday and Today,” the Junior Service League of Concord, local sponsors and Neighborhood News are offering a doll look-alike contest.

To enter the contest, interested girls should send a photo of themselves and their American Girl Dolls dressed alike.

The two contestants who look most like their doll will receive two tickets to the show, an American Girl Fashion Show T-shirt and cap for themselves and their doll.

The second annual “American Girl Fashion Show: Styles of Yesterday and Today,” will take place in the Governor’s Ballroom at the Capital Center for the Arts on Saturday, Nov. 4, and Sunday Nov. 5, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

At each show, American Girl dolls will be brought to life through local girls modeling the latest in American Girl outfits and accessories.

Proceeds from the event will support nonprofit organizations in the greater Concord area that aid women and children in crisis.

“People can feel good about buying a ticket because all that money is going back to the community,” said Duffy. “We support organizations for children using events that bring families together and the girls are actually helping other children their age by raising funds through the show.”

Those already participating in the fashion show are also encouraged to enter the contest, said Co Chairman Pamela Duffy of Bow.

The Junior Service League of Concord, said Marie Mullen, also of Bow, has exclusive rights to the American Girl Company fashion show in New Hampshire, which will feature about 100 local girls.

The American Girl Doll Company designs dolls representing historical figures as well as those from modern life in the United States. Through clothing, accessories and biographies, the dolls help to convey individuality, curiosity and imagination, organizers said.

The company sent the Junior Service League a catalogue and script for the show, which exhibits local girls in matching doll outfits with historical and contemporary looks from World War II and the Great Depression to different cultural outfits.

“It’s all based on scenes and a whole script from American Girl, which describes the outfits and the time periods, and the girls help by modeling the outfits and carry a doll with them dressed in the same outfit that they’re wearing,” said Mullen.

American Girl Dolls come with biographical books to go along with the matching outfit, which, said fashion show committee member Linda Provost, helps teach the children about the history of women in the United States.

“The American Girl Dolls are really nice role models for young girls today, because through their story, today’s girl learns about the adversity that other girls went through in their time and how they learned from it and grew from it and became strong positive young women for their time,” said Provost.

One of the most important aspects of the fashion show, said Mullen, is the friendships the participating girls form with each other.

“They have a really good time,” she said. “It gives them confidence and they get to meet other girls from around the Concord area and from other schools.”

Tickets for the fashion show are $30 each and can be purchased online at ccanh.com or by calling 225-1111.

Contest tickets and prizes are sponsored by Christine Francouer, senior loan officer at Chase Home Finance.

Show sponsors include Paul Hogan Basketball Camps, Ferdinando Insurance, Concord Dance Academy, Prostar Aviation, The Wild Rover, Keeler Family Realty, and Francoeur and Chase Home Finance.

The contest will be judged by Neighborhood staff.

Contest entries must be received by Friday, Oct. 20, and should be sent to Susan Clark, Neighborhood News Inc., 1662 Elm St., Suite 100, Manchester, NH 03101.