Tulle, sequins, silk, high heels, embellishment……and teenage girls. That pretty much sums up last Saturday’s Prom Rack dress giveaway. Over a thousand new and donated dresses lined the room at Mount Sinai Baptist church in Austin. Hundreds of shoes where sized and displayed along with handbags and lots and lots of sparkly jewelry. It’s a teenage girl’s paradise and we were so happy to be right smack in the middle of it.
This is the third year we’ve partnered with the Prom Rack and we are honored to be part of such a great event. The powerhouse behind this event is Austinite Gigi Edwards Bryant, supported by her Write to Me Foundation. This group serves youth in the foster care system, which is an underserved at-risk group to start with. Gigi has opened up her prom dress giveaway day to include girls in the community who might need a prom dress. Bryant reached out to school counselors and ministers in the community to get the word out. Nearly 200 girls walked away with 2 and sometimes 3 prom dresses, shoes and jewelry.
All the girls were welcomed by a volunteer who assisted them as their own personal shopper. They were delighted see the many separate racks of dresses containing retro dresses and the highly coveted “princess” rack, a selection of dresses with voluminous tulle skirts and elaborately beaded satin bodices. There were short dresses and plus-size dresses….something for everyone. The Austin chapter of the National Charity League has partnered with the Prom Rack the past two years and they are a welcome addition to the event. There was also a makeup artist who provided the girls with skincare advice and makeup tips for the big night.
Over a thousand dresses were available to choose from.
Thank you to all of our customers who donated a dress for this year’s giveaway. You definitely helped make a young girl’s prom dream come true.
A happy shopper leaves with two beautiful dresses.
Thank you to all of our customers who donated a dress for this year’s giveaway. You definitely helped make a young girl’s prom dream come true.