Clothes shopping and trying on pretty things is not a bad way for girlfriends to spend a Sunday afternoon.But it’s even better when everything is free.“This is such a fun day,” said Emyle Watkins about a formal dress give-away event sponsored by Erie County Legislator Lynne Dixon and Urban Valet Dry Cleaners.From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. hundreds of girls from high schools across Western New York – Frontier, Jamestown, Mount Mercy, Williamsville East, Lancaster, West Seneca East, North Collins and City Honors, to name a few – came by the Performing Arts Dance Academy in the Village of Hamburg for the seventh annual event. About 60 people lined up outside the dance academy two hours before the doors even opened to try on more than 1,000 dresses – the most ever donated, Dixon said.The girls also got to choose matching shoes donated by Dyed to Match in Williamsville and Shoefly on Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo. The Bead Gallery in Amherst provided free earrings.Watkins, a senior at Springville-Griffith High School, fell in love with a black, velvety halter dress with black mesh at the neckline and a black slit for her left leg to peek out.“

That’s so pretty,” said her classmate Emily Barger, who settled on a red, strapless, fitted gown that also came with a slit. Black high heels and a silky black and red shawl draped around her arms completed the outfit.Dixon started the giveaway because the cost of going to prom goes up every year, she said.Outfitting a girl from head to toe for the prom could cost hundreds of dollars, but Sunday’s event was not only for poor, low-income families. Any girl was welcome to the dresses regardless of their family’s income bracket. It made good economic sense no matter the household income, some mothers said.“We teach our children to be resourceful,” said Colleen Gaglione, whose came with her daughter Gabbi, a 10th-grader at Eden High School. “With the money they save, they can buy a laptop. I think more kids should take advantage of this.”For her prom, Gabbi went for a strapless, bright yellow gown with big, bouncy ruffles below the waist and ruching above. Gabbi described it as a dress that Disney princess Belle would wear.“

Oh that looks stunning,” said one of the volunteers, who gave feedback and helped the girls accessorize.“Why not take a free dress when you can save money,” said Gabbi’s friend, Kelsey Pressing, who is also enrolled at Eden High School. The ninth-grader settled on a floor-length, royal blue gown with a high waist and sequins around the neckline and on the straps.“Fabric Cover For Cedar ChestI like it a lot,” Kelsey said of her prom dress.Drapes And Curtains DenverMany of the girls – like Gabbi, Kelsey and Breanna Dye of Silver Creek – went home with more than one formal dress to wear at special functions like church events, special programs and ceremonies.Best Blender For BodybuildingBreanna chose a dark red, tea-length dress with a black, lacy, flowery overlay to wear to a formal banquet.

And she picked out a copper-colored dress with a sequined overlay for another occasion.One of the dresses her friend Danielle Paradiso fell in love with was a periwinkle blue, strapless gown with some sequined detailing at the waist. Combined with a pair of silver strappy heels and a silver and blue shawl she found, Danielle – a Lakeshore High School student – was happy and pleased with her look.The day also was an exercise in paying it forward. Gabbi and Kelsey, for instance, came up with the idea to donate the dresses after they have worn them. And Gaglione thinks maybe she will volunteer at next year’s event. After all, Sunday’s experience took her back to her high school days, albeit the dresses weren’t free, but the sentiment was the same.“I would help out just to see the girls’ faces,” she said. “It brings back memories.” , © 2016 All Rights Reserved. Nobody wants a dress twin or triplet (yikes!) on prom night. For added fun, you can see what others are wearing.

So spread the word! The more girls that register, the better the chances are that you will be the only one in your dress. AGE:GRADUATION YEAR:DATE OF PROM: Street AddressAddress Line 2CityAlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces EuropeArmed Forces PacificStateZIP Code ENTER YOUR 3 DIGIT CODE:Can be found on your Hot Shots Catalog, or by CLICKING HERE.Applicants must be high school females to be eligible. Early summer was a high point in automobile sales, specifically General Motors and Ford. August did take a minor down turn that drew some concern.

While the time at the bowling alley was fun for all, family and friends gathered to also honor the memory of Debbie Doyle. Ambulance Response Time Means Riverton School Changes Riverton’s high school football team now has an ambulance on stand-by after it took more than 30 minutes for one to arrive in time to help an injured player during Friday night’s game. Releasing Pets into the Wild The ecosystem has an uncanny ability to find balance by itself.FREE SHIPPING ON ORDERS OVER $100 (Cont. ground US) Your cart is currently empty. Follow @downeaststyle On InstagramBridal & Prom Dress Sale Saturday, March 29 | Starting at 8:00 a.m. Cocktail & Party, Wedding, Ball Gowns, Prom, Graduation, Communion, Special Occasion and more! Join us on Saturday, March 29 for our Bridal & Prom Dress Sale at our Tampa Family Store location. We will open the store early at 8:00 a.m. for this special event featuring more than 300 dresses in different colors and sizes.

Many are BRAND NEW with the original tags still attached. Shoes, purses, jewelry and men's and kids' formal wear will also be displayed among the dresses. Make your wedding dream come true at a fraction of the price! Many of our dresses are BRAND NEW with tags still on them; those will be sold at 75% tagged price. For our other donated dresses, prices will be determined based on wear, condition and quality of the dress. Remember - there's still time to donate any nearly new dresses or accessories. Scroll down to see photos of some of the dresses which will be for sale at this year's event, as well as our generous donors, and coverage of last year's event. We would like to thank these companies who generously donated new dresses to this event! Please visit their websites for more information on their companies. Emelina's Bridal & Boutique Helen Cabrera Elegant Fashions Black Friday & Saturday Sale Bridal & Prom Dress Sale Day After Christmas Sale