Local High School Girls Get Prom Dresses to Remember

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For many high school girls, going to a prom is a rite of passage four years in the making. It's the dance to beat all dances, the one you've been looking forward to all year and the one you'll always remember. 

Yet between the dress, the shoes, and the tickets, prom may never be anything but a dream for girls whose families simply can't spare the expense. Enter , which decided to pool its resources to make allow a few deserving Baldwin Park juniors and seniors to experience the prom of their dreams. 

“Every girl here has a story, and every one of them deserves a prom,” said Monita Singh, the public affairs representative for Kaiser Baldwin Park. “This is our second year doing this program, and our first working with . The instructors were really instrumental in helping us identify a need among the students. I came from a single-parent home so I understand how hard it can be to send a daughter to prom.”

The second annual Prom Dress Distribution Day was held over the weekend at the campus. The event was the culmination of a month-long prom dress collection drive during which Kaiser staff and physicians donated everything from dresses and shoes to purses and jewelry so local girls who might not otherwise be able to afford these accessories could have the chance to go to the prom in a new ensemble. 

Additionally, Adult & Community Education cosmetology students are donating hair and makeup services to all the girls who participated.

One of these lucky girls was 18-year-old Damaris Solano. A senior at , Damaris said she was surprised but happy when she was told she'd been chosen to receive a free dress for prom. 

“I was worried I had to go to Saturday school!” Damaris said after being called to her counselor’s office to be given the news. “I don’t have a date yet, but I’m just really looking forward to going and having a good time with my friends.”

Last Saturday, Damaris and the other girls assembled on stage to sort through the racks of dresses. There, Kaiser volunteers helped them find the styles and sizes they needed. 

“I just love feeling like I’m giving back," said Dalia Romero, who was helping Damaris hunt for a simple yet elegant black dress. A nurse at , this was the second year Romero participated in the dress distribution.

With her mom looking on from the auditorium seats, Damaris got a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down whenever she found a prospective dress. A long, black gown with sequined flowers got a thumbs-up and a big smile.

"I got lucky with her," said Damaris' mom, Vilma Garcia. "She's a wonderful student and she just got accepted to [San Francisco State]. I want to give her everything, but sending her to college will definitely be a big expense. It's nice to be able to have some of that burden lightened by this event."

As Romero ushered Damaris backstage to try on dresses, Garcia went on. "I had to work all night but I told her, 'Don't worry. We'll be there first thing in the morning!' And here we are. I hope she finds something she likes. She's a very humble, very simple girl but she likes to have herself just so." 

Backstage, Damaris was struggling to decide between a short, black dress with a red sash and the more dramatic sequined gown her mother loved. "Go with the long one!" Romero advised. "Trust me, I'm a mom. This is a dress to remember." 

"I didn't go to my own prom," said Kim Sem, volunteer and Kaiser telecommunications operator. "I came from a poor family. I know what it’s like to not have a lot to [and] not like to ask. But this is a good opportunity for them to just come here and enjoy themselves.”

“Without a doubt, we’ll do this again next year,” said Singh. “Prom is such a big part of a young girl’s life, and this whole experience has just been so rewarding.”

After debating the issue some more, it was the long, black gown with the sequined flowers that won out for Damaris. With a matching necklace and purse in hand, she thanked Romero with a hug and went down to share her find with her mom.

“She just looked so beautiful,” Garcia said, trying to fan the tears from her eyes. “She deserves this.”