NORTHFIELD — Prom is one of the most memorable days in a teenage girl’s life, which is why hundreds of young ladies flocked to pick the dress of their dreams from Project Prom AC’s free prom dress giveaway this weekend at Kensington Furniture.
Schoolgirls, along with their female family members and friends, created a line from the double doors of the Tilton Road furniture store to the other side of the building before 10 a.m. Saturday for first picks from more than 1,700 donated dresses.
Sponsored by Kensington Furniture and Mattress, the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City, SoJo 104.9, and Rene Kane and Co., the sixth annual Project Prom AC giveaway featured all types of formal gowns ranging from long to short, embellished to laced and sequined to simple. The event also had free jewelry to go with the dresses, raffles and cookies.
Iris Ruiz, of Pleasantville, was first in line at Kensington Saturday morning with her daughter Jazleena Ruiz, 15, and niece Dianaliz Colon, 17, to pick a dress for their first prom ever.
“I’m not sure who’s more excited, me or the girls. Prom is my thing. I love it,” Iris Ruiz said with a laugh as she waited for the doors to open.
Jazleena Ruiz said she was excited to find a dress for her first prom at Pleasantville High School, which this year is themed a “night in a queen’s castle.”
“This definitely helps us because it takes a weight off of our shoulders. It’s stressful for me because I’m a senior,” said Jazleena, who’s ready to “show herself off.”
Rene Kane, founder of Project Prom AC, started the organization after volunteering at a prom dress giveaway in the back of a flower shop eight years ago.
Kane said the sense of fulfillment she felt from making families happy, noticing young girls’ need for prom dresses and witnessing people’s generosity in donating prom dresses, gave Kane the idea for Project Prom AC.
“It’s rewarding, making dreams come true,” said Kane. “No girl should not go be able to go to their prom because they couldn’t buy a dress.”
Kendal Ireland, 16, went with her family to the giveaway to pick a dress for her first cruise formal at Pilgrim Academy in Galloway Township.
Ireland said she “didn’t know what to expect” but admitted she had already imagined what the dress of her dreams would be: a navy blue number that “drapes and flows out.”
NORTHFIELD — Teens looking for a prom dress this year can choose from over 1,700 free, donat…
Her grandmother Kathy Learner said this wasn’t the family’s first time at the Project Prom AC giveaway.
“This is our third time at the event,” said Learner, who has had a “line of granddaughters” come pick out dresses the past three years.
“It’s nice for us. The girls get together and help them pick something out,” said Learner, who also noted it saved the family money as well.
This is Project Prom AC’s sixth year of donating dresses after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There’s more need than there ever has been, and more excitement,” said Kane, which she attributed to a “post pandemic rush.”
As the pandemic canceled many social gatherings, she speculated this year’s event would bring in at least 500 to 600 people due to social gatherings like proms being allowed again.
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Accompanied by her mother, Amanda Kipila, 16, and her friend Summer Longo, 17, came to the dress giveaway after Kipila’s grandmother sent her a Facebook post with a flyer of the event.
The two girls go to Southern Regional High School in Stafford Township.
Longo said “she didn’t know what to expect” after she went to her first prom last year but said it was “more magical than she expected,” which is why she decided to join Kipila on Saturday in hopes of finding two prom dresses, since Longo will attend two proms this year.
“This is my first time going to prom and at this event,” said Kipila, who was hoping to walk out with “whatever dress fits best” for their school’s “journey through the U.S.”-themed prom.
“This helps me find a dress and not spend a lot of money,” said Kipila, who will be using her extra cash for hair, makeup and post-prom activities.
The Project Prom AC giveaway continues Sunday at Kensington Furniture, 200 Tilton Road in Northfield. The last day to get a free dress will be Monday. For more information, visit projectpromac.com or facebook.com/projectpromac.
PHOTOS from Project Prom AC at Kensington in Northfield
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Prom dress hunters flood into Project Prom AC on Saturday at Kensington Furniture in Northfield.
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