Hillsborough student’s project helps others enjoy dresses.
By: Emily Craighead
Billed as the most memorable night in a young girl’s life, prom also comes with a memorable price tag.
Add up the price of tickets, limousine, pictures, dress, shoes, hair, nails and accessories, and the evening could cost between $500 and $800. Many girls spend $100 to $400 on the dress alone.
"You wear a dress once to a formal event and that’s it," Hillsborough High School senior Lisa Berry said.
Lisa found a way to make those dresses dance again through the nonprofit organization Catherine’s Closet.
Lisa is collecting prom dresses worn once then tucked away and giving them to Catherine’s Closet to be distributed to girls who cannot afford them.
Last year, Lisa attended Catherine’s Closet’s spring "Giveaway" at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark.
She said she was touched by the excitement of girls who lined up at 5 a.m. for the chance to find their dream dress among the racks in the hotel ballroom.
"The girls just erupt into cheers when they find a dress," said Lisa, who has given away two of her own dresses.
Founded in 2002 in memory of Catherine Johnson, an East Orange high school senior killed in a car accident, Catherine’s Closet collects and distributes prom dresses, shoes and other accessories to thousands of girls in northern New Jersey and New York. In three years, the organization has given away 5,000 dresses and three scholarships.
Working with other members of Hillsborough High School’s National Honor Society, Lisa has collected 21 prom dresses and several pairs of dress shoes. The items fill the spare bedroom closet in Lisa’s house.
"It’s hard to part with (the dresses) because prom night is sentimental, but if you think about making that such a great night for someone else, once you put that into their heads, people really want to help out," Lisa said.
The dresses will be sent to Catherine’s Closet in time for the April 16 Giveaway at the Robert Treat Hotel.
Lisa and the other members of the Hillsborough Catherine’s Closet Committee hope to volunteer at the Giveaway helping girls select a dress and ferrying dresses back and forth between the racks and the dressing rooms.
If the group raises more than enough money to pay for the trip to Newark, it will also purchase an additional dress to donate.
Sandy Kessler, founder of Catherine’s Closet, said she hopes more students like Lisa will continue to play a greater role in Catherine’s Closet.
"I want it to be more student-driven," Ms. Kessler said in a phone interview Tuesday. "I think it has more value if the kids do it themselves. They learn community service and they learn entrepreneurship."
Although her own prom is still six months away, Lisa said collecting dresses for Catherine’s Closet has made her see the high school ritual in a different light.
"It made me realize it might be superficial but (prom is) one of the most anticipated nights of high school and these girls deserve to have that like everyone else does."
Individuals interested in more information or donating a dress or accessories can e-mail Lisa at donate2cate@ hotmail.com or visit www.catherinescloset.org.
Catherine’s Closet accepts formal dresses that are clean, age-appropriate, not more than 3 years old, and new or worn once. The greatest need is for dresses size 14 and up.

