Every girl’s dream at a tender and impressionable age is to be a princess and attend a ball. Cinderella, an orphan and maid, attained the status of the ultimate princess when her fairy godmother came to her aid and enabled her to attend the ball. Nowadays, the true royalty in us shines bright during prom; a dance event held by high schools with the sole purpose of encouraging socialization and celebrating the end of a stressful year.

Although prom is an enchanting affair, it also comes with an expensive price tag. The cost includes transportation, beauty treatment and the icing on the cake, timeless hours spent in boutiques trying to find the perfect dress. “It does not only provide the less fortunate with prom dresses, but also allows donors to clean out their closets, so I believe it is a great idea,” said Kim Aubrey, an alumni and English teacher at Neshaminy High School. According to the 2015 Visa Prom Spending Survey, the average American family spends about $933 per attendee on the whole event.

As part of their yearly community-support programs, Neshaminy’s Family & Consumer Science (FCS) Majors have declared themselves the fairy godmothers of the less fortunate of the Neshaminy community. Cinderella’s Closet, the brainchild of the Immanuel United Methodist Church in Kentucky began in 2006 and has been adopted by many organizations all over the country. The program aims to provide dresses at a low cost to teenagers while subsequently, promoting self-esteem and performing good deeds. “It is a great way of providing an opportunity for someone else,” said Emily Bender, a senior at Neshaminy High School.

The Family & Consumer Science focuses on preparing young men and women for the future by encouraging service learning, community involvement and personal enrichment programs. FCS is one of many voluntary organizations to partake in the selfless endeavor.

“This is the first year we are participating in this program and look forward to providing gently-used prom dresses to students at a low cost,” said Kelly Macauley, teacher and head of the Family & Consumer Science Department of Neshaminy High School.

“Giving dresses we have no use for anymore to others is an awesome initiative,” Kate Fleming said, teacher at Neshaminy High School.

To donate and help make prom a memorable and enjoyable event for all in our society, drop off gently-used dresses from February through March rooms C117, C118, and the main office.