TEWKSBURY, Mass. — With prom memories still lingering, organizers of the Caring Partners’ 11th annual Belle of the Ball prom dress drive recently thanked the program’s participants that helped nearly 500 high school students attend one of life’s milestone events.
In the drive that ended in April, local corporations, nonprofits, retailers, media partners and volunteers—including Anton’s Cleaners—collected gently worn or new prom dresses and special-occasion shoes and purses for the girls to choose from. In total, the 2015 program collected 6,789 dresses.
Dresses and accessories were collected at all Anton’s Cleaners 42 locations and Jordan’s Furniture stores, and Anton’s cleaned all of the dresses free as part of the program.
Belle of the Ball culminated with a “boutique day” at Simmons College for hundreds of deserving girls. Students were pre-qualified for the invitation-only event by guidance counselors, teachers and social service agency personnel.
Volunteer personal shoppers helped the juniors and seniors choose from thousands of prom dresses in a variety of colors, styles, and sizes displayed, all free of charge, and then the girls chose accessories and shoes to match.
“No one should have to skip their prom, a momentous day, because they cannot afford a dress,” says Arthur Anton Jr., chief operating officer of Anton’s Cleaners, a founder of Belle of the Ball. “Belle of the Ball allows girls to dream big and feel beautiful with the dress, purse, shoes and makeup. Thanks to generous supporters and customers, hundreds of young women will receive anything they need to feel like a princess the night of the ball.”
Since the program was founded in 2005, Caring Partners’ Belle of the Ball has collected 52,136 dresses, and Anton’s Cleaners has donated drycleaning services valued at $1.7 million.
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