For some Brooklyn high school students, making it to their high school prom is a mission in and of itself. However, thanks to Operation Prom, many students gained the ability to attend their end-of-high-school bash in style without breaking the bank.
Three hundred girls registered to receive free prom dresses and lined up at the Urban Assembly Institute of Math and Science for Young Women, 283 Adams Street, to receive their dresses on Saturday, April 16. The giveaway went phenomenally and all girls walked away with a dress or even two according to Dawn Simon, Operation Prom’s Brooklyn director.
“We look forward to helping girls in the community offset the cost of prom because it can be very expensive and if we can help by providing a free dress, that’s great. We would also eventually like to open the program to boys and assist with tuxedos,” stated Simon. Nowadays, prom dresses can cost upwards of $1,000, with even the cheapest costing a couple hundred. Operation Prom, a non-profit organization founded in 2005, works with companies such as Macy’s and designers such as Ralph Lauren who donate thousands of new dresses for young women in Brooklyn and around the state. For the local event, around 100 volunteers offered their time to help the young ladies find a dress that fit well.
“Prom is a rite of passage, and every teen should be able to attend regardless of their financial status,” said Operation PROM Founder and President Noel D’Allacco.
In order to be considered, students must be recommended by their guidance counselors, meet financial need requirements and be passing all of their classes. “We are always looking for people to add to the collection and dresses in all sizes are appreciated,” added Simon.
For more information, go to operationprom.org.
On the Avenue: Kiwanis Club fetes ‘Finest’ with award named for late chief 
On the Avenue: Celebs, activists honored at annual Maimonides gala