The LFHS Women’s Club recently collected donations of new and gently worn prom dresses in coordination with Mothers Trust Foundation of Lake Forest to help fellow Lake County high schoolers attend their prom.

Mothers Trust Foundation is a non-profit organization based out of Lake Forest that works to assist the underprivileged youth of Lake County. Back in 2018, the organization received several phone calls from multiple social workers from schools around the area. They reached out to Mothers Trust Foundation in search of help for some of their students who wanted to go to prom but were not able to afford it.

The cost of attending prom, including the ticket cost, clothing, and accessories, is not cheap. At many schools the cost of attending prom, including ticket prices and clothing, can typically range anywhere from $300-500. 

In order to assist students who may not be able to afford a prom experience, Mothers Trust Foundation began to post on social media and reach out to family, friends, neighbors, and local businesses in hopes of receiving dress and accessory donations. That first year, the foundation received about 100 dress donations, which they brought to Waukegan High School on small racks. These racks were stationed in social workers’ offices and throughout auxiliary rooms for students in need to come by and shop.

“Our tagline for the operation is: It’s more than a dress,” said Office and Events Manager of Mothers Trust Foundation, Marly Subido. “After the students shopped for their dresses, the students were crying, we [the members of the foundation] were crying, and the social workers were crying. We all had a full heart and happy tears. We knew from that point on that we wanted to make every single year bigger and better.”

Now five years later, the operation has skyrocketed. The Pop Up Prom Shoppe was located at the University Center of Lake County on Saturday, March 11 and Sunday, March 12. The shop was complete with personal shoppers to help students find the perfect dress, hundreds of accessories and shoes, dress attendants, volunteers who provided dress alterations on the premises, a DJ, and a photographer. 

Friday, March 10, was High School VIP Day, designated for target high schools. High schoolers from these schools were bussed in and provided boxed-lunches for their college and shopping experience. The venue holds dozens of racks of dresses and provides fitting rooms, including separate rooms for those with sensory issues or disabilities. The event is run with the help of over 400 volunteers.

The foundation has partnered with Zengeler Cleaners and received donations from Macy’s, bridal shops, and individuals to provide dresses for this year’s Pop Up Prom Shoppe. In this year’s operation, approximately 600 students were able to choose from over 5000 dresses, ranging from sizes 0-28 in all sorts of colors and styles. Each student received two dresses and an accessory of their choice, including shoes, purses, and jewelry, free of expense.

Not only has their prom dress selection expanded significantly over the years, but the foundation decided to implement an educational aspect into the shopping experience. Mothers Trust Foundation partnered with the University Center of Lake County and College of Lake County to make the Pop Up Prom Shoppe a learning experience as well as a feel-good event. While students are waiting to shop for their dresses, the foundation hosts speakers from the University Center and College of Lake County, who talk to the students about post-high school opportunities. 

“This allows the kids to get a jump-start out of high school and truly be successful,” said Subido.“In the heart of it, we are all about the kids. We want to make sure that the kids are successful, that they are confident, and that they are proud,”

The Women’s Club is a service-based club at LFHS that is focused on supporting women and children in the local community. This year, the Women’s Club has made countless contributions to the local area, such as raising money for breast cancer throughout October, baking Valentine’s cookies for senior residents at The Lake Forest Place, and participating in a winter coat drive to collect warm coats for children in Chicago Public Schools.

Most significantly, with support from students and staff at LFHS, the club was able to gather over 90 donations for Mothers Trust Foundation’s Pop Up Prom Shoppe.

 “It [the cause] made everyone feel really good,” said executive member and junior Kelsey Bumbaco. “We all felt like we did something that will really help out others who are less fortunate.”

These efforts would not have been possible without the generosity of LFHS security worker Mrs. Angela Hill. Hill is a brand new addition to the LFHS security team, yet has already shown her involvement and dedication to student activities. 

Hill read a flier on a bulletin board around the school advertising the Women’s Club cause. Hill immediately knew she could help out given her background in dance. She owns a business called Dress Up & Dance which holds ballroom and Latin dancing clinics in restaurants around the area. Hill hosts various events for her business such as an Adult Prom and a New Year’s Eve formal, and as a result, has accumulated about 200 dresses that she no longer wears. 

Hill was able to donate 59 of these designer dresses to the Women’s Club’s campaign, hoping to help “some young adults who may not have had the resources could have access to a nice dress for their special occasion,” according to Hill.

Mrs. Erin O’Donnell, the sponsor of the club, says that Hill went “above and beyond” to help their cause. As a result, the club wrote thank you letters to those such as Hill who made significant contributions. 

Among those who made generous donations is Katheleen Wood, a TA for the NET program at LFHS. Wood used to sell MaryKay makeup, and upon learning about the Women’s Club cause, donated her extra samples. With these samples, the Women’s Club was able to make goodie bags filled with makeup that they donated along with the dresses.

Although buying a prom dress is a rite of passage that many high schoolers don’t even think twice about, attending prom is not a guarantee for everyone. The Women’s club cause will allow fellow students to have the experience of a lifetime. The generosity of those in the school community proves Subido’s point: that it really is more than just a dress. 

“It’s feeling beautiful and confident. It’s the lifetime memory of attending prom. It’s learning about your options after high school. It’s about a full heart and happy tears,” said Subido.