Diamond Ray had some ideas when it came to her prom dress. The Northeast High School senior also knew she couldn't spend a lot of money.
Enter the non-profit Fairy Godmothers. They're expecting to connect between 600 to 1,000 high school juniors and seniors to their perfect prom dress in the Philadelphia tri-state area.
Today students sifted through racks of donated gowns at the Cheltenham Mall. The majority of the dresses are new, some are gently used. The goal is to help girls with financial hardship attend their proms. The founder, Joyce Jesko, received a citation Saturday from the city for her work.
Most dresses the organization puts up at a price of $10. Ballroom gowns are $50. Accessories range from $2 to $8. Each girl is set up with a shopper while family members surround the floor to pitch in with their opinions.
Diamond lifted one option to get the go ahead from mom, and with that it was time to try it out. The decision came fast and she got firm approval from her volunteer shopper.
"When I put it on, I loved it," Diamond said.
It wasn't the mermaid style she was originally looking to find, but it was perfect. Mom couldn't be more proud, seeing prom as a celebration for all the studying in high school and her college acceptance.
" I'm so happy for her ," said Diamod's mom Jean Ray.
The Prom Fair will be held at Cheltenham Mall (2385 W Cheltenham Ave.) on Saturdays March 8th (10 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.), March 15th (10 a.m. -4:30 p.m.) and March 23rd (10 a.m. - 2 p.m.)
Any young lady who is a high school junior or senior can shop, with a valid photo student ID. Cyber school students who do not have a valid school ID must bring a copy of their most recent report card.
Fairy God Mothers has chapters in five states: Pennsylvania, Delaware, Arizona, New York, Virginia and Florida.
To volunteer or donate to one of our chapters, you and visit the www.fairygodmothersinc.com website.
