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Cinderella's Closet makes prom affordable for Livingston County students

Every high school student deserves to feel like a Disney princess or prince on prom night. You too can support Cinderella's Closet, a great cause, at the Tanger Outlets mall in Howell.

On Saturday, Andrea Bachelor was searching for the perfect dress for prom at Cinderella's Closet.

"My friends thought it'd be fun to go dress shopping, and we heard that it goes back to LACASA (Livingston Area Council Against Spousal Abuse), and so we thought it would be a good way to give back to our community," Bachelor said.

She found the one for just $25. And it's a perfect match to the necklace given to her by her grandmother.

"She passed away earlier this year, so I wanted to kind of commemorate her in my prom look," Bachelor said.

All proceeds from Cinderella's Closet benefit the nonprofit LACASA.

"We serve survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. All of our services are 100% free and confidential," said Sarah Lewis, director of social change advocacy at LACASA.

The gowns have been donated by the community.

"Anyone that wants to come in, bring a dress, bring a suit. We take them all year round at the collection," Lewis said.

The pop-up is hosted in the fall for homecoming and in the spring for prom.

"There's a couple family members of mine that actually have been with LACASA before I was even born," said volunteer Lauren Keesler. "I've been pretty much coming here ever since, volunteer or not, because I love the community here and how hard they put this event together for the youth."

While prom is exciting, and shopping for the right dress is a fun experience, this boutique is also about empowerment.

"Teen dating violence and sexual assault impact the community, and so when they can put a kind of a face to the name of LACASA, they might be more likely to come in if they need that help," Lewis said.

There is still time to shop at Cinderella's Closet. The boutique will close on Sunday, March 9. The store will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

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