Metro Atlanta nonprofit gears up for 10th annual free prom dress giveaway in Atlantic Station
Prom season is almost here, and one organization is ensuring girls across Georgia, and in some cases outside of the state, have their "Cinderella" moment.
Love Travels is hosting its free prom dress event, known as Belles of the Ball, on Saturday, March 7.
The organization said it is the largest prom dress giveaway in the state.
Scottlin Smith started the Belles of the Ball event 10 years ago.
"When I started, I was just on Facebook Garage, like, 'Hey, anybody have an extra dress?'" Smith said. "I was asking my classmates, like, 'Hey, do you have this size dress?' So, for us to be able to grow to this amount of brand-new dresses, it just feels unreal."
Smith is the founder of Love Travels and was busy this week picking up dresses for Saturday's giveaway.
Enchanted Evenings in downtown Cartersville donated hundreds of brand-new dresses for girls to choose from.
"When I get to come into rooms like this, and I get to see the dresses, it reminds me of my purpose and why I'm doing this," Smith said. "And it just makes me thankful to be able to bring a smile to a young girl's face."
While the girls will look for dresses to make them feel beautiful on the outside, Smith's goal is to make them feel beautiful on the inside, too.
"Although it's about the dress, they're getting unofficial mentorship, they are getting a confidence booster, and they're getting a community and village where they know that they can do anything they put their mind to," Smith said. "And hopefully we're building the future leaders."
Other community partners, including Noble and Main in downtown Cartersville, said any cause Smith is championing is a good cause.
"To be able to introduce new people to Love Travels and Belles of the Ball, because people have never heard of it, and to be able to kind of connect them to that cause is super special to us," said Noble and Main owner Madi Davis.
Jeffrey Hampton, the branch manager at LGE Community Credit Union in Cartersville, said the event gives them the chance to serve their community in more ways than one.
"Being able to provide the situation where we're able to help someone is great. That's people helping people," Hampton said.
Smith said 700 girls have already registered for the event and estimates they will have a little more than 2,000 dresses.
On top of the prom dress shopping experience, Love Travels will award a scholarship to a high school senior.
Saturday's event will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 230 18th Street NW, Suite 1140, Atlanta, GA 30363.
To register for the event, click here.
