‘Every girl wants that Cinderella moment.’ These free prom dresses make it possible.
Over a smooth jazz soundtrack, a dozen princesses-to-be are sorting through 500 prom dresses hanging on racks, imagining that moment when they walk on the dance floor and catch everyone’s eye.
They pick out gowns in peacock blue and sea foam green, some strapless, some floor length, and give a nod to their mothers that signals, “This is the one.”
But this scene unfolds not in a boutique or even the mall, but in Jonathan’s Sports Lounge off Rock Quarry Road, where the owners have joined with a Wilson-based charity to offer 500 gowns for free — all of them brought to Raleigh in a U-Haul.
Some of the donated gowns still have tags hanging on them, and as the young women make their picks, they know those dollar signs won’t keep them home on prom night.
“Every young girl wants that Cinderella moment,” said Angie Hall, whose Wilson-based foundation has held dress giveaways for nine years. “We don’t want finances to take away from that.”
Hugs and thanks
On Wednesday, the Hall foundation gave out 117 dresses which, at an estimated cost of $300 per gown, represents a $35,000 savings for Raleigh families. The giveaway continued Thursday.
“We have a lot of parents who hug us and thank us for saving them hundreds of dollars,” Hall said. “It’s so many girls who aren’t able to go to prom because they can’t afford it.”
Hall said she can relate. Growing up in Wilson, her grandmother made her dresses — green one year and black the next.
The high school students trying on gowns at Jonathan’s on Wednesday said they wouldn’t necessarily skip the upcoming proms without the gowns they carried home.
But these dresses will make a special night more special.
“It looked so big and nice,” said Natalie Garcia, a senior at Sanderson High School, holding a sparkly red dress. “And it’s strapless, so it’s very elegant.”
The raves continued.
“It’s got lace, kind of,” said D’Aira Gilbert, holding her black selection. “And it has spaghetti straps.”
All donated, the gowns might have been worn once or twice or maybe not at all — provided by would-be prom-goers who opted out at the last minute. Donation pickups can be arranged by emailing hallfoundation@yahoo.com.
The location itself is significant for the giveaway, held at a spot in Southeast Raleigh where co-owner Crystal Johnson explains options for sports lounges, especially new ones, are few.
“It gives Southeast someplace to go and eat,” she said. “It’s a great cause, and we’re glad to give back.”
Looking out for everybody
Co-owner Jonathan Fleming repeats this theme, taking the giveaway so seriously that he flags down young people walking around nearby Southeast Raleigh High School and lets them know in person.
Fleming opened Jonathan’s two years ago after being wrongfully convicted of murder in New York and serving 24 years in prison. Investigators proved he and his family were at Disney World in Florida when the crime was committed, an alibi jurors dismissed, according to the nonprofit Investigating Innocence.
New York City agreed to pay $6.5 million in compensation, ABC11 reported in 2018, and he chose Raleigh to relocate.
“No amount of money could compensate me for all the time that I did,” Fleming told the station. “But it did give me a fresh start,” Fleming said.
Looking out for everybody, all the time, rang through as the day’s message.
And as she watched smiling faces leave the giveaway, Hall had a thought for next year:
Tuxes.
This story is part of our regular “On the Bright Side” feature. Got a suggestion for a story that will bring a smile to our readers? E-mail Josh Shaffer at jshaffer@newsobserver.com.
This story was originally published April 21, 2022 at 11:22 AM with the headline "‘Every girl wants that Cinderella moment.’ These free prom dresses make it possible.."