1,200 high school students find their prom dresses at ‘Belle of the Ball’ drive

April 8, 2024

About 1,200 local high school students experienced their Cinderella moments on Saturday at the 20th annual prom dress drive, walking into the the Hynes Convention Center looking like everyday teens and leaving decked out in jewelry, makeup, high heels, handbags, and gowns.

The invitation-only event allows pre-qualified high school juniors and seniors in need to find their prom attire and accessories free of charge, so the expense isn’t a barrier to them attending the big dance, organizers said.

When a girl arrives at “Boutique Day,” she’s paired with a personal shopper, a volunteer who helps her one-on-one to choose and try on five dresses until she finds her fit. If one set of five doesn’t work, it’s back to the roughly 4,000 other gently used dresses donated by community members ranging from a sequin-studded, full-length purple gown to an understated black velvet V-neck number.

There was lots of smiling and hugging.

One girl showed up with curlers in her hair. Her prom was Saturday night, and she needed a dress to go with her new ‘do.

Lawrence High School junior Rachelle Torres, 17, left, and senior Kamil Castilla, 18, embrace during the “Belle of the Ball Boutique Day.”Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff

Arthur Anton Jr., the founder of “Belle of the Ball” and chief operating officer of Anton’s Cleaners, said he always thought he understood that prom was important. But then his daughter went through it, “and then I knew how important it was,” Anton said by phone from the event.

As Anton spoke, he and Eliot Tatelman, the president and chief executive of Jordan’s Furniture, were in the middle of helping girls find shoes, while Tatelman’s wife was busy as a personal shopper.

Senior Andrea Lopez, 18, of Boston Arts Academy, models a pair of shoes during during the “Belle of the Ball Boutique Day” at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff

“When I witness what these these young ladies are experiencing here, you know, it makes your heart feel good and burst with joy of being able to give something to somebody who couldn’t have been able to do it on their own,” said Anton.

Senior Marie Kilgoe, 19, of Boston Arts Academy, tries on earrings during the “Belle of the Ball Boutique Day” at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff

With the cost of attire, transportation, food, tickets, pictures, flowers, and the after party, it costs almost a grand () per student, for the night, a showed. For the “promposal” alone, or the marriage proposal-like show of asking out your date, you could expect to spend $324 in 2015.

Anton recalled that a year or so ago, “a mother was here with two daughters. And one has junior prom [and the other has] senior prom. She just started crying because she said, ‘I couldn’t have afforded this.’”

She was a single mother, he said. “Then the girls started crying. I started crying. It was one of those days,” said Anton.

Senior Aleishka Berrios of Lawrence High School gets help from volunteer, Kathy Leonard.Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff

The program has dressed more than 6,000 girls since its inception, in what organizers described as one of New England’s largest prom dress drives.

Anton’s Cleaner’s dry cleans gently used donated prom dresses, which are collected at their partners Jordan’s Furniture, Enterprise Bank, and at Anton’s Cleaners’ roughly 70 locations.

Senior Andrea Lopez, 18, left, of Boston Arts Academy, shares a laugh with volunteer Lauren Erlingheuser while looking for a dress.Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff

After Anton ended the interview, there was still a line of girls waiting to find their dresses.

“Our mission is any girl who needs a prom dress will have one, so we’re going to be here until the last girl gets her dress,” said Julie Dennehy, a spokesperson for the event.

Senior Kyrana Weekes, 17, of Henderson Inclusion School shows her father her dress, via smart phone.Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff

Kajsa Kedefors can be reached at .

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