Elmont High School to host free prom attire giveaway

Food, raffles and a variety of suits and dresses will be available free of charge at a prom-attire giveaway in the Junior Cafe at Elmont Memorial High School from 1 to 4 p.m., on April 20.

The event, hosted by the Elmont Memorial Parent Teacher Student Association, brings community outreach group You’re Our Unity, joined by the Meera Empowerment foundation, to run its third annual prom dress and suit giveaway.

“The PTSA is happy to be supporting this event,” said PTSA President Lynette Battle. “The role on our end is to make sure that the word is getting out to the families. We know who the students in need are, so we try to make sure they are aware of the opportunity.”

In 2022, You’re Our Unity started running the annual event to get prom dresses into the hands of girls who could not afford their own. This year’s giveaway will see the addition of suits for young gentleman to come try on and take home, and attire for eighth grade prom students as well.

“Ever since we started doing the event, people have had a lot of interest in supporting the prom experience for the young boys in our community,” said Lashawn Walker, founder and CEO of You're Our Unity. “So, this year we made sure that happened.”

The event is not exclusive to Elmont residents and is open to any student in the area looking for a prom outfit. Last year, the giveaway helped more than 50 girls from the surrounding area and the organizers are expecting to help much more this time around with the addition of boys.

“People come from all over,” Savitre Ferdinand of Meera Empowerment said. “Brooklyn, Queens, Uniondale … as long as you live in New York you can be part of the event. We want to give everyone that special service, everything is free.”

Suit, dress or monetary donations can be made up until the day of the event. Donation arrangements can be made by contacting Walker or Ferdinand.

The event will also give the girls a chance to try on makeup and get vouchers to have that done before prom. The organizations are also looking for barbers for the boys to get haircuts while attending.

A week before the giveaway, on April 13, Meera Empowerment, led by their 11-year-old CEO Selene Ferdinand, will be hosting a fashion pageant to raise funds for the event and their senior scholarship.

“This year is going to be our first year running this pageant.” said Selene. “As a pageant girl, I realized that a lot of people may not be able to experience and do the same things that someone like me would. I want to give them that opportunity.”

Savitre Ferdinand said that this pageant was made to boost the participants' confidence on stage and to give them experience in public speaking by allowing them to give small vignettes about themselves and what they would like to do in the future.

RSVP for the event will be open until March 15, which will be a $199 package that includes a formal wear outfit of choice, a personal intro and program book, as well as the opportunity to win a crown, sash and cash prizes.

“I started this foundation because I wanted to inspire people in my community to follow their dreams,” Selene Ferdinand said. “I hope with this pageant we can make that happen.”

Layne Groom is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media.