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Date: 2/22/2023
ENFIELD, CT — Prom is often a milestone in the life of teenagers, but the trappings that come with the social event can put that milestone out of reach for some. Ahead of the 2023 prom season, Opera House Players in Enfield and The Stack Group, a Holyoke-based web design and digital marketing agency, have partnered to collect formal wear and accessories to help young people have the time of their lives.
Sarah Rose Stack, co-owner of the Stack Group, now lives in Agawam, but grew up in New Jersey. She said her family struggled financially and she particularly felt that stress when she was in high school and wanted to go to prom. She said she did not have much say in what dress she wore, because it was a hand-me-down that didn’t fit particularly well.
“With inflation affecting more families than ever, many teens will not attend prom simply because they don’t have anything to wear, or, because they didn’t have a choice in what to wear,” Stack said in a Facebook post.
With her son attending his senior prom this year, Stack said she has seen first-hand that prom has become much more expensive and a status symbol than it used to be.
“First, there’s the ‘prom-posal,’ where you can spend $50 on just asking someone to go to prom,” Stack said. “Then there’s the dress, the hair, the tan, the makeup, the tickets, the limo, what are you planning for the whole weekend afterward? It can cost upwards of $1,500.” There is also a social factor to preparing for prom. “Picking out a dress can be like picking out a wedding dress. They make a day of it,” she said.
Students who cannot afford the experience of preparing for and going to prom may feel isolated and as though they are missing out. “High school kids have already missed out on so many milestones because of the [coronavirus] pandemic,” she said and noted that this is her son’s first “normal” year of high school, despite being a senior.
With all of this in mind, Stack decided to gather donated dresses and formal wear for young people who want to go to prom but are facing financial struggles. Rather than simply give away suits and dresses, Stack said she wanted to create an experience in which teens can come, enjoy themselves and choose “something they’re proud to wear.”
Stack knew she would need a community partner for the drive, so she turned to Opera House Players, a non-profit theater group in Enfield, CT. Stack teaches dance and choreographs musicals for the theater.
“[Opera House Players] have the space where it could be a really fun experience,” Stack. She approached the non-profit’s board of directors, and the idea was approved. She named the event, Build a Prom for Everyone, based on a lyric in the song “It’s time to Dance,” from “The Prom: A New Musical,” a main theme of which is inclusion.
On March 11, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., teens are invited to come to the Opera House Players, where the formal wear will be organized by size and color. There will be music, snacks and an atmosphere in which people can pick out their prom attire and “have the same try-on experience as their friends,” Stack said. There will be two tailors at the event who can hem the formal wear. If someone cannot make it to the event, Stack said they can email her, and she will help make arrangements.
In the run up to the event, Build a Prom for Everyone is seeking gowns, tuxedos, suits, dress shoes, handbags and accessories. Stack is looking to provide formal wear in a wide array of sizes and cultural preferences. Stack pulled 22 dresses from her own closet that she had worn to galas and events in the past. Stack noted that previously worn donations should be cleaned.
Build a Prom for Everyone is also accepting gift cards and monetary donations. Stack explained that she expects far fewer suits and tuxedos to be donated than gowns. All monetary donations and gift cards will be used toward the purchase or rental of a suit or tuxedo, or toward the cost of hair, makeup, nails, corsages and boutonnieres.
As of mid-February, Stack said about 50 dresses had been collected and others had donated money. She expects another 50 or so from people who promised to donate. Stack said that her business has about 300 clients, so she has a large network of people she has made aware of the drive. “The Opera House Players board and alumni are also gathering donations,” she said. The goal is to collect at least 300 gowns and suits.
Any attire not chosen by the students will be donated or sold, and the money will go toward the Opera House Players, who are fundraising for a new building. If families are interested, Stack said, they can donate to the Opera House Players. “If they want to give $10, they can. If they don’t, that’s fine too,” she said.
Donations can be dropped off between 7 and 9 p.m., on Thursdays and Sundays until March 3, at Opera House Players, 100 High Street, Enfield, CT, or by contacting sarahrose@thestackgrp.com.