High school seniors shop for free prom dresses at Belle of the Ball dress drive
BOSTON — High school students from all over shopped for the dress of their dreams at Saturday's Belle of the Ball prom dress drive.
The Belle of the Ball program provides free prom dresses, shoes, and accessories to 1,000 high school seniors all nominated by guidance counselors, social service agencies, and places of worship.
"We are shopping for dresses for our last year of high school," said Edward M. Kennedy Academy senior Mary Rodriguez. "It's very good. I'm very honored to be here."
The young women were treated to first-class, red-carpet treatment during the event and even got to participate in a runway show to show off their dresses.
"I got my dress, purse, heels, and jewelry," smiled Janesica Johnson, a senior at the Edward M. Kennedy Academy. "My personal shopper was very great, and she helped me pick out something that would fit me personally," Johnson said.
Over 500 volunteers showed up to help the teens find their perfect prom outfits.
"When you can complete their outfits they're really amazed," said Jordans Furniture event sponsor June Tatelman. "It's an amazing experience and it warms my heart."
All dresses are donated to the program and collected by its sponsors Anton's Cleaners, Jordan's Furniture, and Enterprise Bank.
"Our customer base donates most of the dresses," said event sponsor Author Anton. "We got a lot of dresses in 2020 from Macy's. They had no prom so they couldn't use them for '21 and they gave us over 2,000 dresses."
With prom season rapidly approaching and the cost of a dress, shoes, and accessories placing an extraneous expense on families, the gift is a huge help during these challenging times.
"Not everybody has this opportunity," Johnson said. "To be able to find accessories and everything, especially for free because not everyone comes from the same place. So this was a beautiful thing to do for everybody."