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NHS Prom: Generosity Provides Free Dresses
May 1, 2010
About a half dozen young ladies attended the Northview High School prom Saturday night in dresses they received compliments of a group of concerned students that worked to make sure that every girl could have that perfect dress for a magical evening.
The girls learned about the program from an April 9 article on NorthEscambia.com. Also after the article, over 30 dresses were donated.
Our original April 9 article is reprinted below.
Calling themselves the “SWANS”, the group of young ladies is collecting prom dresses that are being made available to any Northview girl headed to prom that needs a dress, no questions asked.
“Prom is big deal for girls,” said SWANS member Jessica Bloodsworth. “They want to look pretty, and the perfect dress helps them look special. It can boost the self-esteem of a girl.”
Knowing that dresses are without a doubt expensive and that the expense could keep some girls from attending their junior or senior prom, the 20-something students in the SWANS decided to go to work to create a prom dress closet of sorts. So far, they have collected just over a dozen dresses, and they have been promised a donation of about 30 more soon from someone that is closing a bridal shop.
“A lot of girls have dresses left over from other events, and there are girls that need a dress but their family can’t afford one, so it’s a perfect match,” Bloodsworth said.
The girls recently bagged groceries at a Winn Dixie store to raise money — about $200 — so they could dry clean the donated dresses. The dresses are fashionable, modern styles that are free of flaws.
“Prom is just that special night that you get dressed up and feel like an adult,” said Natalie Nall, one of the SWANS teacher sponsors. “This is the big deal for many of the girls. For the girls that don’t go to college, senior prom night is the special time in their lives until their wedding.”
Extra effort is made to make sure that no girl is embarrassed by wearing a donated dress, according to Barbara Luker, another SWANS teacher sponsor. It is all done as quietly as possible to make sure no one knows a girl took part in the program. Even for our NorthEscambia.com photo, Luker worked to make sure the dresses were presented in such a way that no dress could be identified.
Northview girls that donate a dress to the program sign a promise to not let anyone know what dress they donated.
“I promise to not let it be known that this dress once belonged to me and will hold it secret in my heart because I know that my generosity means more than the compromise of someone’s self-esteem,” the prom dress donation promise states.
Girls that receive a SWANS prom dress have the option of keeping it, or returning to the program.
The SWANS — Sophisticated Warriors Advocating Northview Self-Discovery — are also working toward a clothes swap closet at the school for everyday clothing. And they are planning a Mother’s Day tea to allow girls and their moms to get a little closer and allow the girls to meet their friends’ moms.
“It’s all about self-esteem and being a woman,” Bloodsworth said.
SWANS is actively seeking prom dress donations. Anyone can drop a dress by the school office. Any Northview student in need of a dress can contact any SWANS member at the school, or any teacher sponsor.
Pictured above: Northview SWANS member Jessica Bloodsworth with some of the donated prom dresses. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
2 Responses to “NHS Prom: Generosity Provides Free Dresses”
THAT IS THE KINDEST THING….EVERYONE KNOWS HOW EXPENSIVE PROMS CAN BE…..I THINK EVERY GIRL AND BOY SHOULD EXPERIENCE THEIR HIGH SCHOOL PROM…AND WITH TIMES AS HARD AS THEY ARE….THIS WAS PERFECT….THERE SHOULD BE MORE PEOPLE LIKE YA’LL…..
What a wonderful gesture…great young ladies, and I am sure you will be rewarded in life for your kindess.