2024 prom boutique: Hundreds of dresses, dreams – delivered – Evanston RoundTable

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A robe on show on the entrance to the Dreams Delivered occasion on the Woman’s Club of Evanston. Credit: Belinda Lichty Clarke

On April 13-15, the Woman’s Club of Evanston was reworked right into a no-price prom boutique for Chicagoland highschool college students.

With racks full of clothes in sizes starting from zero to 23, along with sneakers, jewellery and night purses, the ballroom and predominant flooring of the membership had been buzzing. The occasion, referred to as Dreams Delivered, is a signature occasion hosted by the Woman’s Club and the Ivy Pearl Foundation in collaboration with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Delta Chi Omega Chapter.

“Our involvement in delivering dreams through initiatives like Dreams Delivered is truly impactful,” stated Stella Salisu Hickman, Ivy Pearl Foundation president. “Our foundation member Pamela Akins-Schanette’s dedication to supporting youth in Evanston, along with the partnership with the Woman’s Club of Evanston, underscores the importance of collaboration in creating meaningful change. Together, we’re not only providing dresses and accessories, we’re offering young people a sense of inclusivity and empowerment, ensuring that prom night becomes a cherished memory for all involved.”

The historical past

The first Dreams Delivered boutique was held in 2007 and served 40 college students from Evanston Township High School. This yr’s occasion supplied full prom wardrobes for greater than 100 college students from as distant as Oak Park and Waukegan. Evanston seniors are given precedence signup.

How it really works

The sponsoring organizations collectively publicized the occasion to group members, and in February and March, native companies in Evanston served as drop-off areas for brand spanking new or shut-to-new clothes. Donations had been additionally solicited to assist complement the boutique with sneakers and equipment.

shoes on table
Shoes on show for the scholars to try to take with them to finish their prom seems. Credit: Belinda Lichty Clarke

“We are given a budget by the club to buy the items we need and food for the students to enjoy before they shop. We also provide a lunch to the students who help us by modeling the dresses to promote the event at ETHS’s senior assembly,” occasion chair Erin Booker stated. “This year we did an ‘Adopt-A-Shoe’ fundraiser which raised $1,000 to help us restock the shoe supply.” Kenny the Kleener assisted in dry cleansing a whole bunch of clothes free of cost, and Booker stated that Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW) was additionally very beneficiant with its reductions.  

Four women help set up The Women's Club of Evanston into a no-cost prom boutique.
Setting up the boutique (from left) are Katherine Dong, Kathy Hayes, Susan Bedard and Abbey Fishman Romanek. Credit: Erin Booker

The boutique options on-development clothes in all types, materials and colours, the bulk of that are flooring-size robes. “We have a very diverse mix of clients, including transgender students,” Booker stated. “We also have a select number of short dresses for students to take, in addition to a long dress, if they want.”

building the dressing room
Dreams Delivered chairperson Erin Booker (entrance) and Abbey Fishman Romanek assist construct the dressing rooms on the Woman’s Club. Credit: Ellis Booker

In March, appointment instances had been made accessible on a primary-come, first-served foundation. “We collaborate with ETHS and hold spaces until after their senior assembly,” Booker defined. “Once they have claimed all of the spaces that they want, we open it to the community.” She added that they promote to the broader group by way of social media teams, together with dwelling faculty organizations.

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