THORNTON — Not everyone can be a football captain, 4.0-GPA student or homecoming queen.
But everybody deserves a nice prom, say local officials.
They are taking various measures to take the financial bite out of participating in the spring ritual for families struggling with everyday expenses.
Teachers and staffers at Northglenn High School are chipping in by preparing and serving a meal to promgoers and buying up tickets to make sure every senior who wants to go to the prom can do so.
Cities and schools in north Denver are donating dresses or suits for students to pick up for free this month.
Some businesses are handing over top-of-the-line dresses for girls who couldn’t afford them.
“I opened up one package donated by a bridal shop, and there were seven brand new Vera Wangs,” said Colleen Little, whose sister owns Copperfield’s Event Chateau in Wheat Ridge.
Little, whose sister is shop owner Cheryl Wise, said they didn’t want the weak economy to prevent a girl from enjoying a special prom night.
“Our mother was a single mother, and we couldn’t go to our prom,” Little said. “So we didn’t want that to happen to anyone else.”
At Adams 12 Five-Star School District, staffers are collecting dresses that will be given out at the Prom Shop from 2 to 8 p.m March 18 at the district’s administration building, 1500 E. 128th Ave., in Thornton. Students must present their Adams 12 ID.
“We heard from principals in our district saying that so many kids weren’t going to prom because of financial problems,” said Nancy Bunjes, president of the Educational Support Center Building Committee, the Prom Shop sponsor. “And that just kind of brought a tear to our eyes.”
So a week ago, the group sent out e-mails to district schools and to the cities the district serves, asking for donated dresses, suits and tuxedos.
They’ve received 40 so far and are hoping for 200, Bunjes said.
Prom dresses can go for $100 to $400, while tuxedos run from $65 to $150, Bunjes said.
“Everything we get can go a long way to helping some kids out,” she said.
At Northglenn High — where many students come from struggling families — teachers and staffers are clamoring to serve a prom meal to students, said principal Mary Lindimore.
“At first, I was worried we couldn’t get enough volunteers, but now they are arguing over who gets to serve and who gets to cook,” Lindimore said.
About 40 students attended last year’s prom-night meal, and Lindimore expects to double that number this year.
“We’re really seeing how tough it is for families this year,” said Lindimore, adding that teacher and parent donations are allowing the school to buy $40-per-couple prom tickets so kids won’t have to pay to go to the dance.
“We know there are more important things that go on in school,” Lindimore said. “But kids shouldn’t be left out of prom.”
Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com
