A Simple, Sweet Note Pinned on a Donated Vintage Wedding Dress Sparked a Viral Search for the Former Owner

A charity shop in England that takes in used wedding dresses and sells them to future brides, with the proceeds going to hospice, received one dress this week from a "true gent" that came with a little something extra.

The lace and tulle vintage 1950s gown donated to St. Gemma's Hospice in Yorkshire had a handwritten note pinned on it.

"I wish any lady who takes this dress to have a life with her loved one 56 years like I did," it read. "Happy years I was a lucky man to marry a lady like mine."

According to St. Gemma's Facebook page, the dress and the note generated "a huge amount of interest," leading them on a search Wednesday to find the man who donated the gown.

"Desperately seeking the kind gentleman who donated this one-off classic vintage wedding dress to our Garforth bridal and occasion wear charity shop," a post by the charity read.

By Thursday, the man was found.

"We have news! We have found the kind gentleman who donated the beautiful vintage wedding dress to St Gemma’s Hospice this week. He is over the moon that we are giving somebody the opportunity to buy the gorgeous gown on ebay," the post read. "He is a big fan of St Gemma’s Hospice and is overwhelmed with the International attention that his late wife’s dress is generating. He is so happy and proud that the Hospice will benefit from funds raised by the auction of the dress. He wishes to remain anonymous and we fully respect his decision but he is watching the media frenzy with interest and thinks it is wonderful. We have thanked him so much for his kindness and he would like to thank everyone for their support."

The Yorkshire Evening Post though identified the donor as 86-year-old Gordon Dickinson who said his wife, Peggy, would appreciate the dress being worn again.

"I'm a bit lost for words," he said, according to the Evening Post. "I never thought it would cause so much fuss!"

The dress is being sold on eBay and bids are up to 590 pounds (about $914) as of the time of this posting. There are seven more days to go before the online auction closes.

"To pass the dress on and to donate something so special is the ultimate act of kindness, and we've been overwhelmed by the response we've got on social media," St. Gemma's head of communications Nicola Woodgate said, according to the Daily Telegraph.

(H/T: Mashable)

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Front page image via Shutterstock.