Local organization helps prom night dreams come true for high school girls

The school year is coming to an end for high school students and that means it’s prom season. But this season can get very expensive for a lot of young girls like 18-year-old Hanna Wannamaker from Napanee.

After browsing through some prom dresses online, Wannamaker said, “Everything I liked was really expensive, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to go.”

And the hefty costs don’t just stop at the dress. There is additional expenses for hair, make up, accessories, limos and the whole works.

On top this, young girls already have the financial burden that is just around the corner, with having to pay for post-secondary education.

That’s why events like “Dresses 4 Prom” are so important.

This is the fourth year for the Dresses 4 Prom event, for which organizers were able to get local business and the community to donate dresses. These young girls then get to pick one out and borrow it without any costs.

“When I went to prom, a few of my friends weren’t able to go due to the financial costs,” said Daniela Chino, founder of Dresses 4 Prom. “So when I wanted to get involved in the community, I thought why not start a charity that allows girls to go to prom?”

“It’s such a great experience,” said Wannamaker, who attended the event. “I had a lot of fun doing it and I love my dress. It has vintage Hollywood vibes — that’s why I picked it. I love it so much!”

The only rule is that once prom night is over, the girls have to return their dresses so another girl next year can have her magical moment.

“I think it’s really cool because every dress has a cool story,” Wannamaker said. “All these other girls wore this dress and fell in love with it and had the night of their life and now it’s my turn, so it’s really heartwarming.”

The next dress drive will be between January and March next year when the community can get involved and donate their old dresses, keeping the fairy-tale dream alive for other girls next April.