Dresses lined up across the wall. Shoes, accessories, bags, and jewelry were laid out on tables. Prom attire everywhere. Now entering its 13th year at Atholton, Becca’s Closet comes together and donates prom dresses and other accessories that are beneficial to the girls struggling financially and cannot afford to buy their own prom dresses.
Becca’s Closet gives girls the chance to still have their girlhood and experience prom how they would want to without having to worry about financial burdens.
This charitable foundation, created by Becca Gallagher, works to provide free dresses and accessories for underprivileged high school students all over the nation. Founded after the unfortunate death of Becca on August 20, 2003, the organization continues to empower young individuals, ensuring that no one misses out on the magical experiences of prom night.
Becca Gallagher, the founder of Becca’s Closet, came to a realization that many parents and students struggle financially, which can prevent some students from attending the event. With these thoughts she created a solution that would be able to let those experience the joy of prom without any financial stress.
Since the tragic passing of Becca Gallagher, Becca’s closet has grown extremely quickly and has over 49 chapters and two in the US Becca’s closet communities through schools, business, local stores, and small organizations.
Atholton has had this program for twelve years but paused due to Covid-19. Atholton senior Olivia Elliot and her friends decided to bring back this amazing organization during their sophomore year.
Now, Becca’s closet at Atholton High School has over 40 members. The organization also gets retailers to donate dresses. The most common dresses that are donated are usually bridesmaid dresses but the program is grateful for anything they get.
Elliott reported that “the planning process for our big giveaway event is very time consuming and requires a lot of coordination with many different organizations. Since we give away items for free, the event is a little hectic to manage with the lines of people we get all day long. However, it is super rewarding to see all our hard work pay off and to see all the girls light up when they find their perfect prom dress.”
On January 7, there was a drive that occurred here at Atholton. The drive was from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm, where people could come and donate any kind of dresses, shoes, jewelry, and accessories. “Saturday was amazing. We were able to sort all of our dresses and take an inventory. We had around 25 volunteers show up to help. It was so nice to see everyone together in our matching shirts pitching in to make this possible,” Elliott said.
The day of the drive people donated ten dresses. It’s normally a slow process; people can come throughout the day at any time and people are still able to donate dresses throughout the whole of February.
Becca’s Closet will have a meeting on Saturday, March 16 from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. If anyone is interested in coming to get a prom dress because they need more affordable pieces, Becca’s Closet is the way to go.
The organization makes it comfortable for anyone who needs help. “I’m very excited for the event,” said Brooke Zahnen, one of Becca’s Closet helpers. “It’s always really fun to work…the vibes are always really good to know that we’re able to help people get their prom dresses.”