Cinnaminson Teen Saves Classmates Cash With Prom Dress Donations

Prom is a rite of passage for high school students, but every teen faces one daunting reality—the costs for prom can quickly escalate into the alarming four-digit territory. One Cinnaminson student is determined to do something about that.

Jinhee Lee, a senior, created “Our Fairy God Mother” to help South Jersey teens find an affordable way to make prom memories.

Our Fairy God Mother is a collaborative project that will put prom dresses on sale for $10 next month. The dresses are donations from local residents and from 25 area high schools Lee called on to participate.

“It’s to help out girls who can’t afford the prom, to offset the total price” of prom costs, Lee explained. “I was thinking about how expensive prom can be, and last year I really considered whether I wanted to spend a lot of money on prom.”

Ultimately, Lee borrowed a dress and danced the night away. But that’s an option she knows many teens don’t have.

Average prom costs hit more than $800 last year, according to the Huffington Post. Transportation, hair and makeup, flowers, photos, the after-party—the costs just keep adding up, almost like a wedding. Lee said some classmates spent $400 on their prom dresses, a figure she calls unattainable for many area students.

Working with Cinnaminson teachers Laurie Hyland and Mary Orphanos, Lee crafted a donation letter and sent it out to more than two dozen high schools to ask for dress donations. And the school that gets in the charitable spirit will see its generosity repaid.

“The school that donates the most dresses will get the profits from the sale,” Lee said. “The money will be put toward that school’s prom.”

Lee is collecting dresses through Feb. 23—“Just contact me and I’ll come pick them up,” she promised—and the dress sale is scheduled for March 10, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., in the cafeteria.

“We’re looking for all styles and sizes and even cotillion dresses since some girls like to wear shorter dresses to the prom,” Lee said.

Meanwhile, she’s busy spreading the word of the dress sale through Facebook and asking friends to pass on the message. Anyone in the market for an affordable dress is welcome at the sale, she added.

Lee’s altruism is nothing new. Her volunteer work includes a to help a missionary there teach English.

Volunteerism “is just something we all should be doing. A lot of people need our help,” Lee said. “It comes down to the people who are willing to do things. I’m happy to help.”

To donate dresses to Our Fairy God Mother, contact Jinhee Lee at lee.jinhee2@gmail.com. Lee also is searching for dress racks to borrow to display the dresses at the sale. 

Editor's note: The date of the prom dress sale was changed to March 10, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The information has been updated in the article.