| Submitted by Debbie Hartshorn
Martha Dean, a representative from the McKelvey Foundation, recently contacted Calhoun County High
School to participate in Project Prom.
Principal Mike Offutt was excited to have the opportunity for Calhoun youth to
participate, according to Debbie Hartshorn, who coordinated the distribution of prom gowns.
Calhoun High School's prom is this Saturday night.
Shadyside Academy, a private school in Pittsburgh, PA volunteered to coordinate a dress drive with donations being
sent
to girls in Calhoun County. This is the same project that took place in Clay County last year.
Amanda Sauers, a teacher in NY saw
last year's program on the news and contacted the McKelvey Foundation about participation. Amanda called her mother,
Ellen
Swank in Pittsburgh. Ellen is a parent volunteer at Shadyside Academy, a private school in Pittsburgh that coordinated the
dress
project.
Ellen and her daughter Katie, along with Bethany Boyle and her daughter Jennifer, drove to Mt. Zion on April 28th to deliver
the dresses to CCHS. Shadyside collected close to 100 dresses to be distributed to girls going to the prom.
Calhoun Juniors and Seniors were invited to participate in Project Prom. After upper class-men had the opportunity to
obtain
a dress, underclassmen that were prom guests could participate, according to Hartshorn. Fifty-four dresses were
distributed with the remainder
donated to the theater department for future Follies productions or the show choir. A few shorter length dresses that could
be used for
business purposes were donated to a non-profit clothes closet.
As a result of Project Prom, there are girls able to attend the prom that may not have otherwise, said Hartshorn.
"Project Prom was
quite an undertaking, but a very worthwhile effort," she said.
Calhoun County extends thanks to Shadyside Academy and the McKelvey Foundation for
participating in Project Prom.
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