Ocean City Student Organizes Free Prom Dress Giveaway

OCEAN CITY, NJ — From makeup and jewelry to the dazzling dress, prom expenses can quickly add up.

To help high school girls offset the cost of their gowns, an Ocean City High School senior collected donations and organized a free prom dress giveaway.

Regardless of where they live or attend school, girls can book 30-minute appointments to try on gowns at the Sea Isle City Italian American Club on Tuesday, April 20 or Wednesday, April 21. The appointments will be staggered from 4 to 7 p.m. on both days.

“Some of the dresses that girls are buying are like $500 and obviously everyone can’t afford that, so I wanted everyone to feel special,” Stephanie Carey, of Upper Township, told Patch.

According to Carey, the prom dress giveaway has been in the works since last year.

Carey had initially planned to host the giveaway at Ocean City High School, but the event quickly evolved when local stores — and some as far as New York City — began donating dresses, clothing racks and hangers in bulk.

When proms were canceled last year amid the coronavirus pandemic, nearly 250 gowns stayed in storage at Carey’s home.

Many community members and students were excited when they learned the event could resume this year, Carey said.

Colleen Buch, the club’s president, volunteered the club for the giveaway. Other people have reached out to donate gowns or help coordinate the event next week.

The organizers decided to open up this year's event to girls across Cape May and Atlantic counties, and beyond. A few students from a Pennsylvania suburb have already signed up for the event, Carey said.

“It’s really for anyone who wants to make the trip to Sea Isle to get a dress,” she said.

All of the dresses — many still with price tags attached — are free, with a limit of one per girl.

Carey hopes to make the event fun for girls as they style themselves. She has set up a backdrop where they can pose for photos.

Carey shared that her fellow classmates seem thrilled to be prepping for prom especially after their junior prom was canceled in 2020. The senior prom will take place on the football field in Carey Stadium.

“With everything getting canceled this year, they (students) were almost like ‘Whatever. If prom happens, it happens,'” Carey said. “People are starting to get excited with school going back normally and I feel like the prom is going to boost everyone’s spirits more.”

To make an appointment to try on prom dresses, students can email Ocean City high school nurse and Wellness Center director Jill Berenato at jberenato@ocsdnj.org, or by accessing the QRcode on the event flyer below.

The Italian American Club is located at 309 JFK Blvd in Sea Isle City.

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