The Brooklyn Prom Project, in partnership with the Operation Prom National Network, will once again give high school students from all over the city a chance to look their best at prom at their 10th annual promwear giveaway on April 1. The organization will provide over 800 graduating seniors with donated gowns, tuxedos and suits in preparation for the upcoming dance.
Operation Prom – a national non-profit organization founded by former New York student Noel D’Allacco – has been reaching out to teens living in shelters, group homes and low-income households for over 19 years. The mission of the organization is to provide need-based teens with an opportunity to attend prom at little to no cost.
The Brooklyn Prom Project was able to extend the organization’s outreach to the Brooklyn community through partnerships with the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, First Baptist Church of Crown Heights, Senator Roxanne Persaud, Assemblymember Jaime Williams, Power 105.1FM, and Lincoln Tech and Kings Plaza.
All New York City high school seniors with good academic standing and a financial need are invited to attend the April 1 event.
“Wearing something that you love and that reflects the light you have inside you is a feeling every student should get to experience on their prom night,” Reynoso said in a statement. “The Brooklyn Prom Project is going above and beyond to ensure our high schoolers can enjoy this American tradition to the fullest, and I am so proud to be one of many partners united in this work.”
There are over 100 volunteers signed up to assist the 10th annual giveaway, which will be hosted at Urban Assembly Institute of Math and Science for Young Women from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m..
“Prom is a vital part of a high schooler’s experience, and at Brooklyn Prom Project, we believe that no student should have to miss their special night due to the lack of financial reasons,” said Brooklyn Prom Project Co-director Dawn Simon. “Our chapter is excited to continue this effort after 11 years and honored to help local teens feel supported by their surrounding community.”
Outside of financially-aiding the long-standing high school tradition, the Brooklyn Prom Project provides food, clothing and school supply donations to K-12 students who are homeless or do not have family to assist with those needs. They also offer leadership scholarships to high school seniors who promote higher learning and academic excellence.
Operation Prom National Network is based in New York and has locations all over the United States. The organization is fully staffed with volunteers, with nobody from OPNN taking home a salary.
