‘Gown-tastic’: Single mothers band together, give away free dresses for prom

ROGERS, Ark. — Single mothers in Northwest Arkansas are helping make prom memorable for high school girls in the area.

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Saturday’s “Gown-tastic” event offered free dresses, accessories and raffle tickets for free hairstyling and makeup, KNWA-TV reported.

“Every teen deserves to have the prom dress of their dreams, and that’s our goal here,” Becky Luther, executive director for the drive, told KHBS-TV. “So if we can get even a few girls to feel like they’re floating on cloud nine at their prom, then we’ve done something good.”

The Gown-tastic website noted on March 5 that 550 dresses had been donated.

The women who organized the giveaway got the idea for the “bougie event” after a post was made on NWA Single Mom’s Club, a private group on Facebook.

Becky Luther, who runs the Facebook group, is the director and event coordinator for Gown-tastic.

One woman posted on Luther’s Facebook group that her daughter would not be able to attend her prom because she could not afford a dress, KNWA reported.

One person responded that a dress drive might be a solution, according to the television station.

“I bet there’s a ton of women out there that have dresses they won’t be wearing again and would be willing to donate to a worthy cause,” the person reportedly wrote.

That was the inspiration for “Gown-tastic.” It especially hit home for Luther.

“I myself did not go to prom,” Luther told KFSM-TV. “And I kind of wish I had, so let’s make sure that everyone can.”

Thanks to the efforts of Luther, Becca Weiss, Meni Tenorio, April Babinec and a group of dedicated volunteers, many high school girls who would be unable to attend a signature event in their high school careers can go in style.

At 10 a.m. on Saturday, the dresses went on display at the Hyatt Hotel House in Rogers.

“Knowing that some of these girls are going to have that memory, long-lasting because of this event,” Luther told KNWA. “For every one of us volunteers that is what’s driving us and we are thrilled.”

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