Free Formal Wear Drive Underway For Second Annual “A Night To Remember” Dance

(KNSI) – Some people never got a prom. Organizers of a Sartell dance are collecting formal wear so they can have one.

“The Dance, A Night to Remember” is a free formal dance for adults with disabilities, and it comes with a free dress and suit giveaway beforehand. Organizers are taking gently used prom dresses, bridesmaid dresses, mother of the bride and mother of the groom gowns, suit coats, ties and white dress shirts. Everything donated gets handed out at no cost to the people who will wear it in September.

Co-chair Cheryl Hommerding says the closets of central Minnesota turned out to be full of exactly what she needed. “People have this formal wear in their closet, and they have nothing to do with it, and it’s one of those things where they go, ‘oh, this is a great cause, and how fun.'”

There are two chances left to donate, and the first one is happening right now. Hommerding is at The Waters Church in Sartell today until noon. The second drop-off is Monday, August 24th, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the same location.

The giveaway follows on Tuesday, August 25th, from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., also at The Waters Church. Guests can browse the racks and take whatever fits, with a month to spare for alterations before the dance.

Hommerding works at group homes in Sauk Rapids and had been driving clients out of town to similar events, including dances modeled on Tim Tebow’s February “Night to Shine.” She decided central Minnesota needed its own and pulled together a committee last year for the first one. The name came from the people it was built for. Organizers wrote three options and sent them to WACOSA, where participants voted.

Last year’s dance drew somewhere between 150 and 170 people, counting guests, staff, family and volunteers. What they walked into is why the dresses matter. “They come in, they can go for a limo ride if they want to. We have a red carpet, they walk in, and everybody gets their paparazzi moment.”

The second annual dance is set for Friday, September 25th, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at The Waters Church. Admission is free, and organizers say keeping it that way is a goal.

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