In The News
CLick here to view a video from the Centre county report highlighing the 2011 event!
Please note that while in previous years our event has been completely free, starting in 2012 there will be a charge of $10 for gently used gowns and $25 for new gowns. This fee will offset event costs and allow us to expand our dress collection and to serve more students!
Event gives prom dresses to girls
The Collegian (University Park, PA) - March 28th, 2011
Author: Anna Harvey
Brenna McKinely drove more than an hour from Williamsport, Pa., to Fairmount Avenue Elementary School on Saturday afternoon hoping to find a dress for the Loyalsock Township High School prom.
After she had tried on about eight dresses, the high school junior walked away with a pink gown with a beaded bodice — completely free of charge.
McKinely was one of more than 170 girls who attended the “Prom Attire Event,” which gives dresses to high school girls who cannot afford their own.
In 2005, Maria-Teresa Grinneby was a Penn State sophomore looking to combine her love for fashion with community service. Six years later, local girls are still reaping the benefits of her efforts.
Grinneby collaborated with Catherine Lehman, a staff member at the State College Area School District, and the Prom Attire Event was born.
The idea was to give donated prom dresses and accessories to girls in the Centre County area who could not otherwise afford them. In spring 2006, the event helped 17 girls attend their prom in style.
“The best part of the program is seeing event attendees walk away with the perfect gown as well as the confidence that comes from not having to worry about the price tag,” Grinneby said.
This spring, Penn State students Monica Rudolph and Taylor Havlisch interned with Lehman, soliciting donations from the area and running the event over the past two weekends.
Rudolph (senior-public relations) said she has really enjoyed interning with the Prom Attire Event this semester.
“The girls that need it — it is wonderful. They leave with a dress in hand, a big smile on their face, and to be able to help like that is just wonderful,” she said.
This is the third semester the event has used Penn State students as interns, and Lehman said she will continue to do so as long as the event continues. Without these interns, it is a tough job, Lehman said. Without the help of the local community, it is even harder.
Lehman said she is looking for a few Penn State sororities or groups that would be committed to help fundraise and bring donations. She said they had hoped students would be a better source of dresses and accessories, but so far expectations have fallen short.
A lack of donations will mean fewer girls, like Hannah Lin of State College, can receive the chance to attend their high school prom.
Lin came with two friends who got dresses through the event last year, and she found a blue beaded gown for her prom on May 14.
Those who are interested in being involved with the Prom Attire Event next year can email Lehman at cdt13@scasd.org or visit centreprom.org.
Prom dress program offers girls free gowns for big night
Author: Cliff White
Picking through the racks of nearly new prom dresses on display at the Fairmount Avenue Elementary School cafeteria Saturday, Miranda Boatman, 16, had on a glowing smile.
“I had an idea of what I wanted when I came in, but there’s so many different styles ...,” she said as she tried on an asymmetrically strapped aquamarine gown.
The best part — better even than the selection, Miranda said — is that she could pick whatever dress she wanted and have it for free.
“It’s a great program,” Miranda’s mom, Diane Boatman, said after Miranda strode off once again to the dressing room. She was referring to the 2011 Prom Attire Event, organized for the sixth consecutive year by Catherine Lehman, the State College Area School District’s volunteer coordinator.
At the event, which began Friday and continues next weekend, students from all local school districts are invited to select their favorite dress from among hundreds of choices, at no cost.
“It’s a way to reuse these dresses, which often only get worn once. And its helps girls get a dress for prom they might not otherwise be able to afford,” Lehman said.
Last year, 168 girls got their prom dresses at the event. Based on attendance figures over the past two days, Lehman was expecting a larger total this year.
“Word of mouth is spreading,” Lehman said. “It means so much to their self-esteem to get jazzed up for prom.”
This year, seamstresses are available to girls who need alterations made to their dresses, and special gifts donated by local businesses to the charity included hairdressing appointments, shoes, corsages and boutonnieres.
Even with the donations, Lehman said the charity is continually in danger of running low on funds. She expects the $500 donation she usually receives from the United Way through the school district not to be available next year.
“We appreciate any donations we can get,” Lehman said.
It’s not too late for those still looking for a prom dress to find the right one, Lehman said. The boutique, at 411 S. Fraser St., will open again from 3:30 to 8 p.m. Friday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. More information can be found at CentreProm.org. Cliff White can be reached at 235-3928.
Local girls receive prom attirE
Racks of colorfully donated prom dresses surrounded high school student Kelson Goldfine, who was looking for that special sparkle for prom night on a budget.
This weekend, 113 girls left with donated dresses and two boys left with tuxedos from the Prom Attire Event at Fairmount Avenue Elementary School, 411 Fairmount Ave., said Catherine Lehman, co-founder of the event. Lehman said Friday night was so busy she had to close the doors to prevent overcrowding of the main room.
"I think this is a fantastic cause," said State College Area High School student Goldfine, who donated a purple gown and was looking for a new one for this year's dance. "I mean, who would throw away a dress?"
Lehman and then-student Maria-Teresa Grinneby, Class of 2008, started the event five years ago. They collect donations of prom attire to give out to local students who either cannot afford a new dress or did not want to spend a large amount of money. The first year of the event, 17 girls left with dresses, said Grinneby, of Washington, D.C.
But this year marks a stark contrast to the event's humble beginnings in a high school counseling office. Purple sheets and pink shower curtains hung on PVC piping served as six brand-new dressing rooms.
"At one point, we had as many as 17 people waiting outside, and some waited as long as an hour-and-a-half," Lehman said. "It was pretty amazing."
Lehman said her husband built the pipe frames and she sewed the sheets to give the girls an upgrade from changing in the bathrooms. The rooms contained a mirror, chair and a $10 dress rack, she said.
"I went to the store in Bellefonte and their dresses were too expensive," State College Area High School 11th-grader Amanda Allen said. "I think this is a great idea."
Lehman said about 350 dresses were available to attendees but almost double that amount had been donated. Ripped, stained or outdated dresses were either discarded or donated to a local Goodwill, she said.
Recycling dresses is an aspect of the event that Lehman wants to emphasize, she said. Not only are people donating new dresses, but also dresses that they had received from the event last year.
"One of our favorite dresses from last year came back in," Lehman said
5th Annual Prom Attire Event
The basement cafeteria of the old Fairmount Elementary school was dark, gloomy and cold but the model in the bright orange and pink prom gown brought warmth to the room. Catherine Lehman was spending part of her Sunday photographing her future daughter in-law, Rachel Meyer, wearing new and recycled prom gowns, to advertise the 5th Annual Prom Attire Event on their newly created Facebook page.
The Prom Attire Event offers an opportunity for people to recycle their gently used prom wear--gowns, tuxedos, shoes and accessories--so that someone else will have the opportunity to attend their prom in style free of charge. The event is put on by the Volunteers in Public Schools and the Family Outreach Programs of the State College Area School District in conjunction with PSU students and community volunteers.
As a recipient of the 2009 Waste Watchers Award, the Prom Attire Event not only embodies the concept of recycling but also the values of sharing and helping others in the community who may not be able to afford a new gown. “Just think about all the joy someone is going to get out of what would otherwise be left hanging in the back of a closet,” Lehman said.
The Prom Attire Event began five years ago when Maria-Teresa Grinneby, a tutor in the Volunteers in Public Schools program, went to her supervisor, Lehman, looking for a community service platform for a Miss Pennsylvania Pageant that she was a contestant in. She wanted something that was, “Community oriented and involved working with the school.” Combining Grinneby’s love of fashion with the idea of recycling prom wear, they created the first Prom Attire Event.
“We threw it together in two months,” Lehman said of the first event. It was held for two and a-half hours in the North Building counseling office. “Only 17 girls got dresses but the ones who did were so excited!” said Lehman. That excitement and gratitude inspired Lehman and Grinneby to continue the event.
Each year, the Prom Attire Event continues to grow. People come from as far as 50 miles away and line up at the door to get in. Last year, close to 200 students attended.
“We anticipate we will have a lot of girls this year,” Lehman said. Due to increased advertising efforts and the poor state of the economy, Lehman is preparing for a large turnout.
The Prom Attire Event is a festive atmosphere. Many of the girls come with their friends and there’s a lot of laughter and fun as they help each other look for the perfect gown.
Lehman described prom as still being a big deal in the majority of students’ lives. “It’s kind of a rite of passage,” Lehman said. “It affects students socially, emotionally and psychologically. It’s a sad thing when students can’t experience their proms because of financial issues; our goal is to help avoid that situation whenever possible. It’s worth all the effort when parents tell us that their child would not have been able to attend the prom if it was not for our event.”
The students who get gowns are very grateful. Lehman recalled a story about a girl who had her heart set on a “poofy” dress. The student thought she had found the perfect dress but to her great dismay, the dress had already been reserved. She was crushed. Lehman promised to stay in touch with the girl to let her know right away if they got in another dress like the one she’d had her heart set on. Sure enough, a dress came in and Lehman called the student who was so grateful that she baked Lehman cookies. The fact that the girl’s oven didn’t work didn’t stop her from showing her appreciation; she baked the cookies in a toaster oven.
Donating a gently used prom dress seems like such a simple thing, but it can mean so much to someone less fortunate. One of the volunteers had a hard time giving up a dress that she brought in because of the wonderful memories attached to it. But as soon as she saw another girl try on her dress and fall in love with it, she realized that now someone else had the opportunity to create new memories in it. Lehman believes that when students help other students by giving up something valuable their actions will inspire others to give in return—to pay it forward, so to speak. It all starts locally.”
Besides donating dresses there are many other ways that the community participates in the Prom Attire Event. High school students help to set it up, Penn State students work during the event, two high school teachers, Poppy Gatto and Mary Peterson, and a community member, Vickie Clauer, volunteer their time as seamstresses, Connie Schulz, the SCASD Family Outreach Specialist, and Alyssa Schaffer, the PSU intern, help Lehman coordinate the event, Daniel Vaughn Designs has donated five corsage and boutonniere sets as door prizes for the past three years, the Gamble Mill and Mario & Luigis are donating dinner for two, and Kristen Ortiz of Simply Elegant Gowns donates gowns from her shop, encourages her customers to donate, and supplies dress racks for the event. The Prom Attire Event is a great way to give back to your community!
This year, the event will be held on Fridays, March 19th and 26th from 3:30-8:00 pm, and Saturdays, March 20th and 27th from 11:00 am-5:00 pm at the Fairmount Avenue Elementary Cafeteria, 411 South Fraser Street, State College, PA 16801. Gowns and accessories are still needed and drop off sites include: The Second Mile, 1402 South Atherton Street, State College; Simply Elegant Gowns, 355 Colonnade Boulevard, State College (behind Wegman’s); State College High School North Counseling Office, Westerly Parkway; and the Learning Enrichment Office, Fairmount Avenue Elementary, on the corner of Fairmount and Fraser, State College. More information is available on the event’s website: www.centreprom.org or on their Facebook page.
Local Prom Attire Event Gives All Students An Opportunity to Experience High School Prom
For most, prom is an essential part of the high school experience. It’s a memory made to last for years to come. But when you really stop to think about it, who really wants to drop $200 on a dress that will likely spend its remaining years hanging in the back of a closet?
Luckily for those still in high school, there is Centre County’s Prom Attire Event to help with this dilemma. Since 2006, this event has enabled students to enjoy their entire prom experience, without cost being a factor.
It was when Penn State student Maria-Teresa Grinneby was running for Miss Pennsylvania that the idea came to her. She needed a platform, and starting an event centered around recycling prom attire seemed to be the perfect idea. After collaborating with Catherine Lehman of the Volunteers in Public Schools program, as well as Connie Schulz, the first prom attire event was held over one weekend in State College High School’s counseling office. With about 75 donated items to choose from, 17 students benefited financially from this program. The event only grew from there.
While prom gowns seem to be the main attraction of this event, jewelry, shoes, purses, shawls, tuxedos and other items are accepted. Although you do not need to donate anything in exchange, it is encouraged that you do donate any prom item you can to keep the event circulating. The 2007 Prom Attire Event, held over two weekends, more than doubled its success with nearly 200 donated gown, and 42 students leaving with gowns. In 2008, 78 students left with gowns, and last year, more than 100 students were benefited. This year, the event will be held March 19, 20, 26 and 27 and, according to Lehman, they hope to get 150+ students walking away with gowns and other various attire.
If you can’t make it to either event weekends, no need to worry.
“We had one girl who couldn’t make the event, so we let her choose her own time for an appointment to come in,” explains Lehman. “She brought in cookies that she had baked in their toaster oven because their stove wasn’t working. It was so sweet and she was so excited to find a dress.”
Student appreciation runs high during this event, which is what keeps it going. Another student, Mariah Westwood, is very grateful for her experience with the event. After learning about it through flyers at Bald Eagle High School, she decided to check it out.
“When I got there and picked out a dress, there was a lady there to help me and get it fitted, and that was really cool,” says Westwood.
The event gave Westwood a renewed excitement for prom, as she was able to look through their “big selection of many colors and different designs,” while her date also found his tuxedo there. Now a senior in high school, she plans to donate her dress to the event in exchange for a different one this year.
Although Westwood learned of the event through school flyers, there are many other ways that the event crew publicizes to get the word out and circulating. According to event intern Alyssa Schaffer, advertising is done through local downtown businesses, dress shops, various publications, a web page, as well as a new Facebook page.
Schaffer, being the first intern for this event, is enthusiastic about taking part in an opportunity for students to enjoy prom without financial stress.
“I had a great time at my prom, and I guess this is just my way to give back,” she says.
In addition to the financial freedom this event provides, Lehman stresses that the event is about “going green” and recycling quality gowns that are hardly worn. Therefore, not only are there benefits gained financially, but it also promotes a more aware and less wasteful environment.
As for the future of this event, there seems to be no end in sight.
“I don’t foresee an end as long as I’m here,” says Lehman. “And if I wasn’t, hopefully someone else would pick it up. There are so many parents that come up and say ‘I don’t know how we’d ever send our kids to prom if it wasn’t for this’. It’s very rewarding and I don’t plan on ending it.”
Volunteers seek gown donations
For some Centre County girls, high school's most expensive night doesn't have to mean empty pockets and broken piggy banks.
The fifth annual Prom Attire Event will be held during two weekends in March, giving local girls and boys an opportunity to get a free prom dress or tuxedo and accessories to wear to their prom. Fairmount Avenue Elementary School, 411 Fairmount Ave., will host the dress distribution on March 19, 20, 26, and 27, and by appointment.
"Our goal is to provide an opportunity for students who can't afford new attire for prom or students who don't believe in purchasing new attire," Co-coordinator Connie Schulz said.
The Prom Attire Event was originally started to help local high school students who couldn't afford an expensive prom dress that would only be worn once or twice, said Catherine Lehman, the current event coordinator and State College Area School District volunteer coordinator.
Since then, it has evolved into more of an earth-friendly event.
"We've moved on to try to put less emphasis on need and emphasize more reuse-and-recycle," Lehman said. "It sort of takes the stigma off the financial need part."
With the recycling effort, girls are encouraged to bring an old dress of theirs to trade in for a different dress from the event. Lehman said that the event has been attracting more "earth-friendly oriented" students interested in recycling dresses because of the cost of buying a new one.
Maria-Teresa Grinneby, Class of 2008, organized the event with Lehman in 2006 as Grinneby's platform in the Miss Pennsylvania Scholarship Pageant.
The first year of the event, 75 dresses were donated, and 17 girls left the one-night event with a prom dress in hand, Lehman said.
Last year, the event attracted several hundred students over two weekends -- and 123 of them found gowns.
Lehman said she expects about 150 girls to attend this year and hopes to reach out to Penn State students for donations.
"We are really in need, because we are in our fifth year and a lot of the community has already donated," Lehman said.
Alyssa Schaffer, an intern for Lehman, said although there are many organizations that collect clothing donations, she thinks this one is different because it's all about prom.
"Prom is a huge deal in high school," Schaffer (senior-public relations) said. "It's giving girls an opportunity to attend who otherwise might not."
And families who attend the event are often surprised at the items available to their daughters free of charge.
"We have had a lot of parents who have been with their student who are just so thankful that we do this," Shultz said. "They are so pleased with what is available."
Other items, such as shoes and jewelry, are also available at the event, donated by students, citizens and local stores. Students who wish to donate dresses and other items for the event can drop them off at four local locations or at the event itself.
"Our dream would be that everyone that came in would be able to leave with something they want," Shultz said.
Prom event makes dress dreams come true
Poppy Gatto, Mary Peterson and Vickie Clauer take in waists, tighten straps and hem bottoms. In short, they save dresses.
“It’s a real satisfaction for the girl, as well as myself,” said Clauer. “It’s nice to see someone enjoy or feel proud of what they have on.”
The three have volunteered as seamstresses at the annual Prom Attire Event, which last year gave away 117 dresses to high school girls from State College, Bellefonte, Penns Valley and Bald Eagle school districts, as well as from schools outside Centre County.
Donations of gently worn or new prom attire are being sought for this year’s event, which will take place from 3 to 8 PM March 19th and 26th, and from 11 AM to 5 PM March 20th and 27th at the old Fairmount Avenue Elementary Cafeteria at 411 S. Fraser St., State College.
The event began in 2006, the brain child of then-Penn State student Maria-Teresa Grinneby and Catherine Lehman of the district’s Volunteers in Public Schools programs. The district’s Family Outreach program also coordinates the event.
The event has both financial and environmental goals. Organizers say they don’t want students to have to spend a lot of money for a dress usually only worn once. Last year, the program received a Pennsylvania Waste Watcher Award.
The event has grown over the years, from 2006 when 17 students received gowns, to last year, when 117 students received dresses and six were given suits or tuxedos.
Clauer, a former teacher aide at Radio Park Elementary School, has been volunteering with the program since its inception. Gatto and Peterson are district family and consumer sciences teachers who both volunteered for the first time last year.
“It was simply a way to help ... because (with) a dress, there’s nothing worse than it not fitting,” said Gatto.
This year, organizers are hosting a virtual fashion show, with Penn State students modeling some of the outfits on The Prom Attire Event’s Facebook page.
pROM PROGRAM RECYCLES GOWNS
Graduation is fast approaching, and along with it another high school rite of passage: the prom.
But spending a lot of money on that perfect gown isn’t an option for everyone. That’s where the 4th annual Prom Attire Event comes in.
Prom Attire offers gently used, in-style gowns, jewelry and other accessories in an effort to provide every young woman her own “princess” moment.
There is no cost, although students are welcome to “recycle” by trading a clean, previously worn prom item for an item from the Prom Attire collection.
“I can’t tell you how many young women have said to me, ‘I couldn’t go to my prom if it wasn’t for this service,’ ” said Catherine Lehman, coordinator of the event and a specialist with the State College Area School District Volunteers in Public Schools program.
The program began in 2005, when Lehman collaborated with former Penn State student Marie-Teresa Grinneby, who needed a service-oriented concept for her Miss Pennsylvania platform.
The event has since grown from a one-evening offering to a four-day event stretching over the next two weekends. The gowns have been donated by various businesses and organizations, such as Alfred Angelo Bridal and Simply Elegant Gowns, in State College, FaithCentre, in Bellefonte, and by individuals. Donations are accepted year-round.
Seamstress Vicki Clauer will be on hand to provide free alterations during the two Saturdays of the event at Fair-mount Elementary School. Banners and signs announcing the event will be displayed in front of the school, and street parking is available.
“We’ve had people coming from as far as 50 miles away in order to look for prom attire,” Lehman said. “They’re so happy when they see all the different varieties of beautiful dresses that we have.”
While girls are encouraged to recycle their former prom attire by donating it to the program, it’s not required. “Prom dresses are sentimental,” said Marisa Shepherdson, Penn State student and intern with the school district’s Family Outreach Program, “and I still have mine to remember that special time in my life.”
If for some reason the times or dates of the Prom Attire Event are inconvenient, Lehman said some exceptions will be made for shopping by appointment.
“It’s so exciting to have parents come up to me at the event and say thank you for providing this service for my daughter,” said Connie Schultz, Family Outreach specialist. “This is a big part of what really makes it all worthwhile.”
For more information on this event or where to donate, visit www.CentreProm.org.
Event offers style without spending
Prom is a monumental event in the lives of many high school students, but spending a fortune to look glamorous for one night isn't an option for everyone.
Now two local groups are giving students in Centre County and surrounding areas the option of going to their proms in style without spending a penny on their wardrobes.
Volunteers in Public Schools and the Family Outreach Program from the State College Area School District will present the third annual Prom Attire event over four weekends, from March 28 through May 3 at University Mennonite Church, 1606 Norma St., State College. All Centre County high school students are invited to come and choose what they need, at no cost, from a selection of gently used or new prom attire. Students may also recycle a clean, previously worn prom item in exchange for other items from the collection.
The event began two years ago when a Penn State student, Maria-Teresa Grinneby, approached the Volunteers in Public Schools coordinator, Catherine Lehman, wanting to replicate a program she helped to start in her hometown near Philadelphia. The first event was held one evening at State College Area High School and offered a lot of merchandise, but only 17 students came, Lehman said.
“We figured, ‘Oh well, that’s 17 more students than would have been able to go to the prom otherwise,’ ” she said.
Last year, the event was held over two weekends and served 42 students. “This year, we’re hoping to reach quite a few more,” she said.
In the past two years, Lehman said, the coordinators found that at least one-third of the students they were serving came from neighboring school districts, including Bellefonte, Bald Eagle and Penns Valley. This year, they hope to also draw students from Philipsburg and Altoona.
“There’s a definite need for it, but our problem is outreach, the right people to get connected with,” Lehman said.
In addition to hosting eight open houses over four weekends this year, she said, the coordinators are advertising more heavily and recruiting new people to get involved. At this point, they have about 100 to 150 donations of gowns, short dresses, shoes, jewelry, wraps and purses, and keep getting more every day. Simply Elegant Gowns in State College has donated dresses, and nittanyweddings.com, a local wedding planning Web site, has sent out messages soliciting donations.
“We’re really getting out there with a lot more possibilities for really, really good donations getting in,” Lehman said.
Students don’t necessarily need to come from less privileged backgrounds to benefit from the Prom Attire event, she said.
Some students swap gowns they have only worn once or twice for dresses that others have donated.
“Why go out and spend $150 or more on a prom gown when that money can be used for something more important?” Lehman said.
In addition to prom attire, the open houses will feature raffles for donated flowers, corsages, manicures and hairstyle appointments.
The event coordinators are still accepting donations of gently used, clean prom gowns, tuxedos, jewelry, shoes, purses, shawls, gloves and more.
They are also accepting donations of certificates for salon services for needy students and cash toward purchase of necessary items.
For more information, contact Lehman at 404-4037 or cdt13@scasd.org.
USED PROM GOWNS GET TO DAZZLE AGAIN
STATE COLLEGE -- This year's prom dress doesn't have to come with a hefty price tag. On Wednesday, about 70 dresses will be available at State College Area High School as part of the "Prom Attire Event ," a local open house aimed at a helping match students with gowns without the accompanying cost. "We really do want to em phasize that this is for anybody in the area that needs it," said organizer Maria-Teresa Grinneby, of Newtown. The event will be held from 3 to 8 p.m. in the high school's North Building choir room.
"Just the whole thing of recycling dresses rather than going out and buying a new $300 dress every year is something we're trying to impress on the school populations," said Catherine Lehman, who runs volunteer programs at the high school. The dresses, along with about 10 pieces of men's at tire, including suits and jackets, and accessories such as purses, shoes and jewelry, will be offered free. "Even if we just help one kid out, it makes a difference," Grinneby said. "I think in the end, it really ends up being how you feel in the dress." Some salon giveaways, such as hair styling and manicures, also will be part of the event . Donations are still being ac cepted, Lehman said, and can be brought to the high school North Building counseling office or brought directly to the event . She and Grinneby, a Penn State freshman, helped organize the event with a handful of high school students. The two met while Grinneby was tutoring at the high school. Grinneby, a longtime participant and spokeswoman for Teen Board, told Lehman she would be interested in bringing the program to State College. And, as contender for the Miss Pennsylvania title, she has made volunteer organization Teen Board her platform. The program connects teens in the seventh through 12th grades with volunteer opportunities, Grinneby said. It will officially become an extracurricular activity at the high school next fall, but there was no time like the present to get things started, she said. She and Lehman found The Prom Closet in Clearfield, which has a boutique day and gives away prom dresses to those in need. "We really liked that idea and knew it was something that could kind of help here," Grinneby said. "And we were looking for a project to take up this year to start of get the ball rolling." Lehman hopes to see the program grow next year. "Next year, we'll start much, much earlier," Lehman said. "We'd like to get people really in the mind-set of helping others." Jennifer Thomas can be reached at 231-4638.
