The Prom Dress Giveaway/Exchange provides free prom, homecoming and sweetheart dresses to students from March 7, to April 20. Located in the basement of the First Baptist Church of Grandview, it strives to let all girls have a dress for every occasion.
“It’s so nice that we can give girls a chance to have a nice dress for their dances,” founder of Prom Dress Giveaway/Exchange founder Amy Blankenship said.
Even though most visits come during prom season, the organization also has customers during the homecoming and sweetheart dances, according to Amy's daughter, Rachel Eze, who assists with the daily operations.
The organization usually draws in around 100 people during the sweetheart and homecoming seasons, but during prom season, the organization has around 500 people come in for dresses.
There is only one rule that Blankenship is very strict on: you can only receive a dress when the person it’s meant for is physically present. If the intended recipient isn’t there, the dress will have to wait until they arrive.
There are also many opportunities that come from visiting the organization, such as volunteering or donating formal attire.
One of the volunteer opportunities is helping and assisting people when trying on dresses, as well as distributing them. Those interested can contact Blankenship at
(816) 813-1879.
“My mom had started it when she realized how expensive prom dresses are and it gives a chance for girls who can’t afford dresses,” Eze said.
The chamber choir will visit and perform in Budapest, Hungary, Bratislava, Slovakia, Vienna and Prague. The group is leaving March 12 and coming back March 21. The choir will be performing in Cathedrals, performance halls and town squares.
Only people in Chamber Choir and Choraleers are able to attend. All of these groups are the most advanced in their classes and typically are only composed of upperclassmen.
“We’re scheduled to perform four formal concerts where we’ll be in our robes in Cathedrals, and in Slovakia we will perform at a concert hall,” choir teacher Ken Foley said.
Students currently in choir will be going on the trip for the first time, as the trips are scheduled every two years.
The trip is especially exciting for chamber choir singer and senior Aleksei Bersenev, since he'll get to be near his home country, Russia.
“I’m really excited because I've been to these countries before and I just know how nice they are,” Bersenev said.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Foley had to cancel the choir trip, and the sophomores, juniors and seniors are now going on the same trip with the same order and cities.
One of the things students are most excited about is the chance to learn how to perform together in harmony, something Bersenev is looking for especially.
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