Atlantic City High School Students Vying For Dream Prom
By Robin Rieger
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (CBS) -- It's prom time, and this year, many Atlantic City High School students still suffering the financial and emotional distress caused by Hurricane Sandy are vying for the prom of their dreams.
"I know my school deserves to win this contest," says senior class president A-yahna Cox in a video she and her friends put together to enter RentTheRunway.com's free prom contest for Sandy-impacted high schools.
Atlantic City, Pinelands, Toms River North and East Rockaway High School in New York are the four finalists of the thirty entries in the essay or video contest.
"In our video, I interviewed a person in Brigantine. Her house was annihilated," Cox says.
A student in the video says she's still not back in her home yet, and some parents are still paying for flood damage in the district's beach towns including Brigantine, Margate and Ventnor.
RentTheRunway.com lets you rent designer dresses for 10 percent of the retail cost for special events, including proms, which students say can get very expensive.
"Our parents wouldn't have to like stress and be like, 'I can't find $600 for you to go to prom,' because we're fixing this house," says senior Christian Chau.
They say more students could go to the event if they win the grand prize, which includes a DJ, celebrity guest musical performer, refreshments, free tuxedo rentals and complimentary prom dresses, makeup, a photographer and more.
"A strapless coral prom dress that's, like, shimmering on the top," says Sarah La when describing her perfect prom dress.
"Probably a red-sequined tight dress," says senior Elvia Alvarez.
Online voting ends April 3rd, 2013.
"We're using all different social media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. We're trying to get the word out," explains senior Melissa Toy.
Contest rules include one vote per IP address per 24 hours.
For more info, visit: www.renttherunway.com
