Local students, including Eaton Fire victims, gifted prom dresses, tux rentals
Local students gifted prom dresses, suit rentals
Hundreds of students in Los Angeles and Pasadena, including some affected by the Eaton Fire, were given free prom dresses and makeup consultations to help make their big day special.
BURBANK, Calif. - Hundreds of local high school students — including dozens from schools affected by the Eaton Fire — went shopping for their prom outfits on Wednesday, as part of an initiative giving back to the community.
‘Say Yes to the Prom’
What we know:
The event was hosted by TLC, and the crew of "Say Yest to the Dress: Atlanta." The "Say Yes to the Prom" program has spent more than 10 years helping students perfect their prom look for their big night.
On Wednesday, students from schools in Gardena, Los Angeles and Pasadena got to browse hundreds of prom dresses donated by Macy's, get fitted for tuxedo rentals from Men's Warehouse, get makeup consultations and more.
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Wednesday's event is just one of several sessions, gifting a dream prom to more than 1,500 students at economically disadvantaged schools. Dozens of the students at Wednesday's sessions are from schools affected by January's Eaton Fire.
In addition to LA, the initiative is holding events in Atlanta and New York this year.
Students' big night
What they're saying:
Students were excited to try on dresses and get their makeup done.
"It feels amazing, because I don't know how to do makeup, so it's nice to have people that are professional and they know what they're doing," said one student.
Another told FOX 11 she simply felt happy about the celebrity treatment.
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Event organizers said it was also important to help students feel connected.
"A lot of these students have found themselves homeless due to the fires," said Monte Durham. "And the school is the one nucleus that keeps them all together. It's their home base… I don't want anybody in this room to look at how far you've got to go. Today, we're celebrating how far you've come. Let's go shopping.""
"You talk to a kid and a kid will say, ‘I don’t want to go to prom,'" said Dennis Williams with Warner Bros. Discovery. "But what we know is that's not actually the truth, it's ‘I don’t think my parents can afford for me to go to prom.'"
Career opportunities
Dig deeper:
The event isn't just to glam out the students. It also serves as an opportunity for them to learn more about potential career opportunities in media and entertainment.
"You kind of got to sneak in a few vegetables when you give your kids dinner, right? So the vegetable here is we want these kids to also be exposed to the opportunities that are afforded to them professionally," said Williams.
What's next:
Even more students from LA and Pasadena schools will be treated on Thursday.
The Source: Information in this story is from interviews with participating high school students, Dennis Williams of Warner Bros. Discovery and Monte Durham from "Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta," as well as the "Say Yes to the Prom" website.