The Mascenic National Honor Society is collecting prom attire for a free boutique open to any Mascenic student ahead of the prom season.

Junior Angelina McCabe was the driving force behind initiating the drive.

“I love getting dressed up; it’s always exciting,” McCabe said. “I don’t want someone to not be able to go to prom and have a good time, just because they can’t afford to go out and buy an expensive dress. You want [prom] to feel nice and be a fond memory, not something to be stressed about.”

The NHS is collecting donations from the public, including formal dresses, vests, button-down shirts, dress slacks, dress shoes for both men and women and accessories like jewelry. Though early in their collection process, they already have a about 13 dresses, and some dress pants, shirts and vests. The NHS plans to set a date in late March for a boutique shopping day in the Mascenic Regional High School Life Skills classroom.

Ellen Salmonson, the advisor for the NHS, said though the boutique is planned to be a resource for students with financial need, it’s also open to anyone who might want to not purchase a new, expensive outfit they may only wear once.

“With inflation and the current economy, this is to relieve some of that,” Salmonson said.

And for those in the community with prom or bridesmaid dresses in their closet that don’t fit, or they’ll never wear again, it’s a way to recycle those good-quality clothes, Salmonson said.

After prom, students can keep whatever they’ve selected from the boutique, though McCabe said she’d like to revive the boutique next year as a senior. Salmonson said students are welcome to redonate their prom attire, but it’s not required.

The NHS is seeking between 30 and 50 outfits for both men and women to give students a wide array of options and sizes. Salmonson said if there is a large amount of outfits left after the high-schoolers have had their pick, the NHS may offer a similar boutique day for Boynton Middle School, which offers a spring semi-formal for the eighth grade.

Donations are being collected through March 15. Donations must be clean and in good condition. Donations can be dropped off at the Mascenic Regional High School, or contact Salmonson at esalmonson@mascenic.org or McCabe at 603-801-9012 to arrange for donations to be picked up.

Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.

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