Local group preps for prom giveaway
Although prom season is still months away, it's an event some young ladies plan all year for, getting the perfect dress, shoes, and makeup to make the night memorable.
Once it's all tallied up, it can be quite pricey, which is why one local organization pitches in for prom each year.
The group is called PROMISE. This will be promise's fourth year making prom dreams come true, and they took 47 ABC took us inside the early phase of their operation to show us where they can use some help.
All year members of PROMISE sift through pink, blue, long, and short dresses as they prepare for their upcoming prom dress giveaway. Their inventory is completely donated from local boutiques and the community.
Betsy Robinson and her daughter started this organization after noticing many missing faces from her son's prom at Parkside High School.
"I mentioned to Hannah that I didn't think everyone was there at the prom because it was a large class, and we thought wow probably not everyone is able to afford to go to prom." says Robinson.
The following week Robinson brought the idea of helping senior girls who might not be able to afford to go to prom to the school principal, and soon after that meeting, PROMISE was created.
Four years later, it appears their success is clear, from the room at their storage facility. Robinson says they're grateful for all the help they already get, from the local school districts and dedicated volunteers who help them reach girls in need by distributing vouchers for the day of the giveaway.
"They come and bring grandmother, mother and they are just so excited when they see racks and racks of prom dresses," says Susan Ward, one of the volunteers.
Susan Ward a volunteer tells us they see about 50 to 75 girls per year from Sussex County, Delaware to Accomack County, Virginia.
Although collecting dresses and prepping for the next giveaway takes a lot of work, the folks at PROMISE tell us seeing the gratitude and happiness on the girls faces the day of the giveaway makes it all worth it.
"You walk away feeling so good and you know that you've helped somebody," says Robinson.
Folks at PROMISE tell 47 ABC they are looking for locations that will not charge to store the dresses. As for volunteers, they're looking for seamstresses to help with alterations and they're looking for helpers on the day of the giveaway.
That event is scheduled on Saturday, February 4th at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Salisbury, MD.
For more information contact Betsy Robinson betsyr728yahoo.com
