Project PROMise helps make girls' prom dreams come true
TUKWILA, Wash. - Picking out the perfect prom dress can get expensive and stressful.
So instead of having to shell out hundreds of dollars for the right gown, 100 girls in the Highline School District got a big treat.
Through the help of the Highline Schools Foundation, the young ladies had a magical experience, choosing from racks of beautiful dresses and several fancy stilettos - with seamstresses on standby.
"I can find something that I really like and not spend $1,000 on it," says Alyxis Burks, a Highline High School student.
It's called Project PROMise - and it's meant to make a girl's prom dream come true.
Nina Dubinsky, an Aviation High junior, follows her volunteer shopper, Meagan, to begin the quest.
"We've got kind of a lot to choose from here," says Meagan. "Kind of gets overwhelming sometimes, doesn't it?"
"Maybe something just simple - simple. OK? There's a lot of good choices," says Nina.
Nina's best friend, Lina Le, already found hers and knows how stressful the process can be.
"First, it was like finding the right fit. Then it was like the right color. Then it's like how comfortable it is," says Lina.
So Nina starts trying on her options.
She settles on a simple black number, then adds a bright pair of shoes.
"This is actually the most comfortable dress I've tried on, out of all of them. So I might go with this, actually," says Nina.
It's a dress that will go a long way, too.
"I don't have a lot of dresses at home, so it's very multi-occasional," she says.
Finding the perfect prom dress for free really lightens up the load for the busy student.
"Yeah - I'm so stressed about SATs, AP testing," she says. "I'd probably have to pay for it myself, so now I can use that money for something else."
Prom can be pricey. A national VISA survey found the average American family spends about $1,000 for a child's prom - which is $200 more than last year.
So instead of having to shell out hundreds of dollars for the right gown, 100 girls in the Highline School District got a big treat.
Through the help of the Highline Schools Foundation, the young ladies had a magical experience, choosing from racks of beautiful dresses and several fancy stilettos - with seamstresses on standby.
"I can find something that I really like and not spend $1,000 on it," says Alyxis Burks, a Highline High School student.
It's called Project PROMise - and it's meant to make a girl's prom dream come true.
Nina Dubinsky, an Aviation High junior, follows her volunteer shopper, Meagan, to begin the quest.
"We've got kind of a lot to choose from here," says Meagan. "Kind of gets overwhelming sometimes, doesn't it?"
"Maybe something just simple - simple. OK? There's a lot of good choices," says Nina.
Nina's best friend, Lina Le, already found hers and knows how stressful the process can be.
"First, it was like finding the right fit. Then it was like the right color. Then it's like how comfortable it is," says Lina.
So Nina starts trying on her options.
She settles on a simple black number, then adds a bright pair of shoes.
"This is actually the most comfortable dress I've tried on, out of all of them. So I might go with this, actually," says Nina.
It's a dress that will go a long way, too.
"I don't have a lot of dresses at home, so it's very multi-occasional," she says.
Finding the perfect prom dress for free really lightens up the load for the busy student.
"Yeah - I'm so stressed about SATs, AP testing," she says. "I'd probably have to pay for it myself, so now I can use that money for something else."
Prom can be pricey. A national VISA survey found the average American family spends about $1,000 for a child's prom - which is $200 more than last year.
