ACES Sponsors Prom Dress Drive for CT High Schools

SOPHIA GOURLEY ’19
FEATURES EDITOR
For the past few weeks, the Annual Community Events Staff (ACES) has been working with the organization, Princess and the Prom to collect prom dresses to give to Connecticut high school girls who may not be able to afford one on their own. Through informing people at a table outside Mather and by handing out fliers, the group has already gotten a few students to sign up to donate!
The Princess and the Prom was developed in 2006 by Cheryle and Lauren Podgorski. According to their website, about 600 high school girls will be able to choose from 2,000 dresses to wear to their prom. The organization dry cleans all of the dresses and holds a three-day Gown Giveaway Event for girls to come and pick any dress that they choose, free of charge. Alex Donald ’19, co-president of ACES adds, that the organization puts on “a real authentic prom dress shopping experience.”
Lexie Axon ’19, co-president of ACES, explains the reason for the club’s involvement with this organization was, “because we felt every girl should have the opportunity to feel like a princess on prom night. We wanted to work with this organization to help these girls have a special night.”
Celeste Gander ’19, a club member of ACES says, “This is a really cool opportunity for Trinity students to give back to others in the Hartford community. A lot of the times our formal clothing from different high school or other events just ends up sitting in closets at home while we’re on campus, so it’s really nice to see those items being redirected to students in the Hartford area who will get more use out of them.”
Emma Martinez Daniel ’19 emphasizes the difference this event makes in the lives of these girls when she says, “It is pretty easy to part with some of those dresses and the little effort it takes from us creates an unbelievable amount of happiness and gratitude to the girls who will get to wear these dresses to their proms. They have not had the fortune that we have, and it is incredible how much this does for them.”
In terms of donations, Axon explained that Princess and the Prom accepts dresses of all lengths, whether they be prom dresses, bridesmaid dresses or other formal dresses. If the donated dresses do not fit the occasion, the organization, “will donate it to somewhere else that will put it to a good cause,” Axon said.
ACES will be collecting dresses up until Friday Mar. 10, which is the last day of class before spring break. The ACES co-presidents also noted that Princess and the Prom is looking for volunteers for their giveaway event. If you have any interest in participating in this thoughtful cause either through volunteering or donating a dress, contact Alex Donald ’19 at alexandra.donald@trincoll.edu or Lexie Axon ’19 at alexandra.axon@trincoll.edu.