With prom season right around the corner, it is once again time for individuals to start looking for dresses and other formal attire to wear to the school dance. The end of a student’s high school senior year is one of the most expensive times for a student or their parent, especially considering all the necessities, such as a cap and gown, that individuals are required to purchase. With this in mind, many families struggle to find the budget to afford formal attire, leaving many individuals unable to go to the dance.
After 12 years of donations, the Once Upon a Prom annual dress giveaway was held again this year on Mar. 3, where they gave away 934 dresses. Once Upon a Prom is a non-profit organization created by women, for the purpose of helping students get the opportunity to attend their proms in style. Run by students at Bethesda Chevy-Chase High School, Once Upon a Prom is collecting dress, shoes, and accessory donations to later distribute to students in need. The only requirement to qualify is that any student requesting donation items must complete a total of 6 SSL hours. By using Once Upon a Prom, students are able to wear professionally cleaned dresses, shoes, purses, jewelry and more to their senior proms this season.
Walter Johnson High School senior Julia Diaz said, “I think the Once Upon a Prom giveaway is really good for families that can’t afford a prom dress or tuxedo. I am excited to contribute to the donations when I am no longer using my dress.”
According to USA Today, the average price of attending prom is almost 700 dollars per person. A typical long prom dress normally costs anywhere from 100-400 dollars, acting as one of the biggest splurges of the prom season. Even a “cheap” prom dress ranges from 50-80 dollars, which can still be considered expensive in some cases. Even without the cost of a dress and shoes, prom can be extremely pricey. Tickets to the dance alone can cost anywhere from 50-120 dollars per person, depending on the venue and whether or not food is being served. Not to mention dinner on the night of the event and photos to capture the moment can easily add another 200 dollars to the total.
BCC senior Jillian Leahy said, “I’m very happy to see the community going out of their way to include everyone in the prom festivities. You only get one senior prom. It’s important that everyone gets the opportunity to attend.”
Once Upon a Prom is a way to make sure every individual can be included and celebrated at their senior proms. After 12 years of hard work in school, students look forward to prom as a way to mark the end of their high school journey and celebrate all their accomplishments thus far. And the Once Upon a Prom organization is helping students celebrate prom in a fun and memorable way.
Written by Madeline Leff of Bethesda Chevy-Chase High School
Photo Courtesy of Pxfuel