Prom event gives hundreds of high schoolers free gowns, tuxedos in Las Vegas

The students didn’t seem to mind. They were eagerly awaiting the opportunity to try on prom dresses and tuxedos at the Las Vegas Prom Closet, an event hosted by Project 150, a Las Vegas nonprofit organization that provides basic necessities to homeless or needy teens, young adults and their families.

High school students with valid IDs received the items at no cost.

“Every student deserves to attend the prom, and financial limitations shouldn’t prevent them from attending,” Project 150 Executive Director Meli Pulido said.

She added that 3,300 gowns had been collected for the event through a monthlong community dress drive as well as donations from area businesses.

“We want to make sure the students know that this is a quality event and that we have enough for everybody,” Pulido said. “We’ve partnered with Zappos for this event for the past three years, and they fill the gap where we couldn’t.”

Steven Bautista, who is “karma kommando” at Zappos, said the company works with sister website 6pm.com to assemble a wide assortment of shoes and accessories for the cause. He said 1,700 pairs of shoes and 1,000 purses and accessories were for Las Vegas Prom Closet.

“We like to work with charities that aren’t necessarily huge but are trying to do something good in the community,” Bautista said. “Food and immediate needs are the most common to be taken care of so this is one of those things that often gets missed. We want to help these kids have a normal high school experience and hopefully inspire them to pay it forward when they have the ability.”

More than 1,300 students attended the Las Vegas Prom Closet event in downtown Las Vegas, and each was paired up with a personal shopper to help find just the right dress or tuxedo.

“Oh, this is cute!,” Sunrise Mountain High School senior Melanie Aguiar said to Tyteana Knapps, her personal shopper and a senior at Western High School, as she scoured the racks in search of a prom dress.

Aguiar’s prom is less than two months away on May 7 at Sam’s Town.

“It’s the one time you get to hang out with all of your friends without having to worry about class assignments,” she said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

After trying on a black, navy-blue and light-blue dress during the first round of fittings, Aguiar decided on a strapless, royal-blue long gown.

Rancho High School freshman Michele Bennett found a black, strapless gown with ivory beading on the bodice for a military ball Saturday evening at the Westgate.

“It was the first dress I tried on, and it made me feel like a princess,” she said. “It’s my first dance ever so I hope to have a great time.”

Brittany Sterling, a senior at Cheyenne High School, wanted a black dress as she was heading into the Las Vegas Prom Closet.

However, she decided on a long, red gown for her April 3 prom at the Aliante.

“There were a large variety of dresses so there was a lot to choose from,” Sterling said.

Durango High School senior Julissa Moreno, one of 200 volunteers, helped Sterling choose her prom dress as her personal shopper.

“She tried on about six dresses until she found the one,” Moreno said.

It’s her second time voluteering at the event. “I really enjoy it because I get to make them excited about the prom,” Moreno said. “I hope it keeps going because a lot of students really need this.”

In addition to at least a dozen racks of dresses and shoes, the Prom Closet boasted an alterations department and various events such as salsa and step dancing.

“It’s not just about grabbing a dress and leaving; it’s about the experience,” Bautista said. “We want to consistently grow this year after year.”

Contact reporter Ann Friedman at afriedman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4588. Follow @AnnFriedmanRJ on Twitter.