For the second year in a row, local high school seniors got a little help in dressing up for their senior proms.
Some came with their parents, and some on their own to browse among free dresses and suits thanks to the efforts of Luna y Sol Familia Center, a program of the Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County.
The Prom Dress and Suit Collection Giveaway included scads of dress choices, accessories, suits, formal shoes, and even included hair styling and makeup, all free of charge.
The giveaway was launched last year to help families who were affected by last year’s floods. Donations have poured in from around the Central Coast.
Last week at the First Christian Church in Watsonville, scores of groups lent a hand setting up the affair and helping students choose the right outfit, fix their hair and more.
Community Action Board Programs Director, Maria Rodriguez, who said volunteers from the District Attorney’s Office, the Public Defender’s Office, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, Watsonville Police, Cal Fire, area beauty salons and others were on hand to make the graduating class look their best.
“I would never be able to afford $300 for a dress like this,” said Sophia Gonzales, a senior at Rancho San Juan High School in Salinas. “This is so amazing. There are some beautiful dresses here.”
Gonzalez said the extended group effort to help the students was a big plus for students who might have a tough time affording their proms.
“A lot of people came forward to help, from many organizations,” she said. “We have given away hundreds of dresses and people are still coming in.”
Editor’s note, April 29: Many groups make events like this possible, and it is often not possible—or practical, given size restrictions—to list them all, especially not in print.
Many people have contacted us about this story, telling us that we missed the mark in not naming all of those who brought this extraordinary event forward. And so, here are the rest of them:
The Santa Cruz County Probation Dept., which initiated the project, Comerica Bank, Santa Cruz County Supervisor Supervisor Felipe Hernandez, Santa Cruz County Fire, Cal Fire, and Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance.
