Prom night princesses

Dress collection drive reaches out to local girls

TORRINGTON — Gowns for all occasions — particularly prom — were available for the taking during the recent Princess at the Prom event in Torrington, giving more girls a chance to have a pretty dress to wear to their school dance.

Organized by Mary Kilmer, owner of Maria Christine’s Bridals on East Pearl Street; Sal Barrante, owner of Barrante’s Cleaners; and Guy Santoro, owner of Santoro’s Cleaners, Princess at the Prom culminated with a shopping day on Saturday at the bridal store. Barrante’s Cleaners and Santoro’s Cleaners provided free cleaning services for all the donated dresses.

Maria Christine’s Bridals started the gown collection effort in February. Recipients came from Torrington as well as Region 25, 7 High School and Explorations Charter School in Winsted, Oliver Wolcott Technical School, and Lewis S. Mills High School in Burlington.

“They really had a great time,” Kilmer said. “It was so much fun to do and to see them happy to get a dress.”

When she first began the drive, Kilmer hoped to receive 50 to 70 gowns. By the time shopping day arrived, she had more than 150.

The average price of a prom gown ranges from $200 to $425, and at Maria Christine’s, gowns run from $275 to $300.

When Kilmer began to form her Princess at the Prom idea this winter, she spoke with town officials including Mayor Elinor Carbone, and learned that the city’s shelters house families with teens. That bothered her, she said — the idea of any girl being unable to have a dress for prom because she couldn’t afford it. Kilmmer distributed fliers to Torrington High School and Oliver Wolcott Tech and put the information up on her shop’s Facebook page.

Each recipient was required to have a referral from her school guidance counselor or teacher, or a religious or service organization, and to make a charitable donation — if they were able — to the Christmas Toy Shower for Bozenski’s Christmas Village in Torrington.

Kilmer said that in the future, she hopes to hold the shopping day in a larger space and have more girls participate.

Contributed photo / Mary Kilmer Thanks to the Princess at the Prom giveaway in Torrington, Shauna Cyr, Katrina Armstrong-Magill and Natalie Ariel received new prom dresses.

Megan Richards shows off her new dress.

Contributed photo / Mary Kilmer Faith Mazzarella is all smiles in her new dress during the recent Princess at the Prom event in Torrington.