Fit For The Occasion
Above, Wheaton High School Prom King, Jack Mitchell, holds trusting Prom Queen, Sang Zi, over his arm. Submitted photo.
Above, left to right - Jennifer, Yesy, Regina, Sara, Amanda and Kelly - organizers of Focus on Prom, a group formed to provide prom dresses to girls who can’t afford to buy one - hold up some of the dresses that have been donated (and loaned) to young ladies in the area.
Photo by Christina Leach Photography, for Focus on Prom.
Photo by Christina Leach Photography, for Focus on Prom.
April 14, 2021
Sheila Harris
Prom (cut from the word promenade), a high school tradition dating back to the 1920s or 30s, is an event eagerly anticipated by most young ladies.
What began as college debutante balls, where young women were first formally presented to the public, has evolved into a tradition beloved among high school students - especially girls.
It’s a chance for a girl to dress up and become a Cinderella for a night: to morph from a school girl in jeans into the dazzling princess she’d dreamed of becoming.
Some girls, however, can’t afford that dream. They don’t dream of prom because the price tag on the dress is out of reach.
Several years ago, a handful of Monett women set about to change that. Their sorority formed FOCUS on Prom as a way of providing prom dresses at no charge to young women who might otherwise not attend prom.
Based on a lending principle, the dresses are borrowed, then returned.
Founding member Kelley Carr says the program began in the Monett school district.
“Only a handful of dresses were donated and loaned out for the first few years,” said another founding member, Regina Bowsher. “We questioned whether it was worth the time and effort, but we were encouraged by others not to give up,” Bowsher said.
“Now,” Bowsher continued, “the program has grown to ten times that size.”
Bowsher added that’s it’s satisfying to see girls who have a need borrowing the dresses, but she also appreciates the young women who prefer the value of borrowing a dress over spending money on a new dress - money which could be put toward college savings or any number of other things.
Cassville High School senior, Adrienne Quiros-Zucca, understands that principle. Although she purchased a new dress, she shopped carefully with money that had been gifted to her for the purpose.
“I bought my dress for half-price, at a special sale a store in Rogers was having,” she said. “Even so, I spent over $200 dollars.”
Quiros-Zucca said the average beginning price tag on a prom dress is anywhere from $300 to $500, money many families do not have at their disposal.
Quiros-Zucca says for her dressing up for prom is a chance to feel self-confident
“It takes a while to find the perfect dress,” she said, “but when you find it, you feel beautiful.”
Most girls would agree with her.
FOCUS on Prom volunteer, Sara Schad, agrees with her, too.
“Finding a beautiful dress isn’t about being vain,” she said. It’s about providing girls with a fun shopping experience and giving them a boost of confidence so their inner beauty can shine brightly.
FOCUS on Prom’s 2021 director, Amanda Reese, gives much credit for the program’s success to community support.
“It’s been astounding,” she said.
Reese said Herb Depot, Fulp Cleaners and Sew It All - businesses in Monett - are huge supporters of the program.
While FOCUS on Prom began in the Monett school district, it now serves young ladies (and young men, too) in school districts throughout southwest Missouri.
Their last open house shopping event of the season will be held Saturday, April 24, from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m., in the building adjacent to Herb Depot in Monett (across the street from Lai Lai’s Restaurant, behind Walmart).
For more information about this organization, visit their Facebook page at FOCUS on Prom.
Sheila Harris
Prom (cut from the word promenade), a high school tradition dating back to the 1920s or 30s, is an event eagerly anticipated by most young ladies.
What began as college debutante balls, where young women were first formally presented to the public, has evolved into a tradition beloved among high school students - especially girls.
It’s a chance for a girl to dress up and become a Cinderella for a night: to morph from a school girl in jeans into the dazzling princess she’d dreamed of becoming.
Some girls, however, can’t afford that dream. They don’t dream of prom because the price tag on the dress is out of reach.
Several years ago, a handful of Monett women set about to change that. Their sorority formed FOCUS on Prom as a way of providing prom dresses at no charge to young women who might otherwise not attend prom.
Based on a lending principle, the dresses are borrowed, then returned.
Founding member Kelley Carr says the program began in the Monett school district.
“Only a handful of dresses were donated and loaned out for the first few years,” said another founding member, Regina Bowsher. “We questioned whether it was worth the time and effort, but we were encouraged by others not to give up,” Bowsher said.
“Now,” Bowsher continued, “the program has grown to ten times that size.”
Bowsher added that’s it’s satisfying to see girls who have a need borrowing the dresses, but she also appreciates the young women who prefer the value of borrowing a dress over spending money on a new dress - money which could be put toward college savings or any number of other things.
Cassville High School senior, Adrienne Quiros-Zucca, understands that principle. Although she purchased a new dress, she shopped carefully with money that had been gifted to her for the purpose.
“I bought my dress for half-price, at a special sale a store in Rogers was having,” she said. “Even so, I spent over $200 dollars.”
Quiros-Zucca said the average beginning price tag on a prom dress is anywhere from $300 to $500, money many families do not have at their disposal.
Quiros-Zucca says for her dressing up for prom is a chance to feel self-confident
“It takes a while to find the perfect dress,” she said, “but when you find it, you feel beautiful.”
Most girls would agree with her.
FOCUS on Prom volunteer, Sara Schad, agrees with her, too.
“Finding a beautiful dress isn’t about being vain,” she said. It’s about providing girls with a fun shopping experience and giving them a boost of confidence so their inner beauty can shine brightly.
FOCUS on Prom’s 2021 director, Amanda Reese, gives much credit for the program’s success to community support.
“It’s been astounding,” she said.
Reese said Herb Depot, Fulp Cleaners and Sew It All - businesses in Monett - are huge supporters of the program.
While FOCUS on Prom began in the Monett school district, it now serves young ladies (and young men, too) in school districts throughout southwest Missouri.
Their last open house shopping event of the season will be held Saturday, April 24, from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m., in the building adjacent to Herb Depot in Monett (across the street from Lai Lai’s Restaurant, behind Walmart).
For more information about this organization, visit their Facebook page at FOCUS on Prom.