Young ladies only dreaming of attending their prom because they cannot afford a dress can have their dream come true.
Ladies of the Morganton Service League will take on the role of fairy godmothers on Saturday, assisting girls who can choose from among more than 400 donated prom dresses including some that are brand new.
The MSL Prom Project from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. goes on at First Presbyterian Church, 100 Silver Creek Road, just off West Union Street.
"This event gives young ladies an opportunity to attend a grand milestone in their life without the worry of how much is that dress in the window," said Lisa Lane, past president of the MSL.
Dresses, accessories and shoes are provided on a first-come, first-serve basis. Girls only have to provide proof of identity, which includes a valid high school ID, driver's license or school schedule or recent progress report.
Lane said the dresses are made available through a partnership with Burke United Christian Ministries which accepts donations of prom dresses along with other clothes at its headquarters, 305 W. Union.
The cooperative effort between the Prom Project and BUCM dates to 2004. The effort became a Morganton Service League-sponsored project in 2006.
From the first, the intention was to make it a little easier financially for all girls to attend the prom.
"The league recognizes that the prom is an expensive evening," Lane continued, "and many young ladies are denied the experience because of financial hardship."
Fifty to 100 young ladies receive a prom dress through this project each year.
Lane said, "It is simply amazing."
She said the project's success rests on the donations received through the generosity of the league members, retailers and the general public.
"Just think," she said. "The dress that you donate may be the dress that makes a dream come true."
The dresses can be returned to BUCM.
"We hope to plant a seed within them about women helping women," Lane explained.
Diane Bradshaw of Burke United Christian Ministries said this project has become more and more successful each year.
"We've had some really nice dresses donated this year," she said, but the group needs more accessories.
BUCM accepts donations of dresses, accessories and shoes at any time.
Donations of money to support the Prom Project can be mailed to the Morganton Service League at P.O. Box 792, Morganton, NC 28680.
On the Web: www.morgantonserviceleague.org.
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