Say Yes to the Prom event in South Jersey gives away free dresses, tuxedos
Students in South Jersey said "yes" to their prom dresses and tuxedos on Tuesday night. Camden County hosted a giveaway event to take the burdens off families before the memory-making night.
"I'm so excited! This is my first time going to prom," one girl said.
Moms like Oli Rodriguez are guiding their daughters through the shopping experience at Camden County's third annual Say Yes to the Prom Dress event, which was spearheaded by the sheriff's office.
"I want her to feel beautiful above all things," Rodriguez said. "I want her to feel like she could conquer the world."
Everything is brand-new or gently used, and the best part is you don't have to look at the price tag because they're all free.
"It's expensive to buy dresses and rent the tuxedos, so we want to make sure it's not a hardship for the family and they can be there to celebrate the child," Michelle Gentek-Mayer, a surrogate judge of Camden County, said.
"Right now, I am in school full-time, so I haven't been able to get my feet right there in the ground yet with work," Rodriguez said. "But I am grateful to God first and the people who organized this."
"It's really nice because I don't have to pay a whole bunch of money for a dress that may or may not fit or may or may not look good on me," Saije Milligan-Swinney said.
Milligan-Swinney is getting ready for her junior prom.
"I really hope I feel really good about myself," she said.
Meanwhile, Katelyn Dorrs got a head start on securing her look for next year's senior dance.
"It's fun trying on dresses!" Dorris said.
County officials and officers helped the young ladies pick out their options, match fancy accessories and gave them this special moment to remember, when each proudly revealed the dress that's going home with them.
The three-day giveaway goes until Thursday at the Camden County Boathouse.
