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Wayne County Commissioner chair organizes prom dress donations for high schoolers
Reginald Williams had only one feeling when his daughter picked out her dress: Flabbergasted. "I was floored," the smiling dad said. And he wasn't the only proud parent to help their daughter find the right dress for prom.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Reginald Williams had one feeling when his daughter found the perfect dress: astonishment.
"When I saw it, I was flabbergasted. I was floored," said the doting father.
For Williams, it was a special Saturday at the Boys and Girls Club in west Detroit. "When I think about all the things she went through this year, bringing her grades up from a C to an A average I’m just excited," he said.
He wasn't the only proud parent in attendance.
For 15 years, the Wayne County Commissioner Chair Alisha Bell has hosted prom dress giveaways at the clubs. Brand-new gowns donated from shops around Southeast Michigan are ushered in and hung up, waiting for the perfect fit to come along.
Prom this year carries an air of significance that other occasions may not bring. It's been a difficult past two years for students, Williams says.
"There’s so many things that young people are dealing with. A lot of bad issues with things in the neighborhood. If you see a child here, that means they are doing well and graduating and doing something and enjoying something fabulous," he said.
Fabulous was the overarching theme of the day.
"I like green. Green is my favorite color when I saw it, it was really hard to stay away from it," said Danayah Smith.
"It’s the only one I’m going to have, so I feel like it will be a lot better because I have a dress I actually like," said Christine Williams.
The cost of a dress doesn't come cheap, which means the affordability factor is key for many families that attend the event. It's likely not going to stop any time soon.
"Over the years it has just grown, we’ve gotten donations from bridal shops. All the dresses here today are new so we are just so ecstatic that we can offer this to our community and to the girls who may not otherwise be able to have a dress," said Bell.