Another Prom Dress Giveaway In The Works By Chip In Batavia

BATAVIA, IL — Nonprofit Chip In Batavia and the Batavia Public Library are teaming up again for another prom dress and accessory giveaway.

The 10th annual drive will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 9. Locals have a month to start preparing clean prom dresses in excellent condition, as well as shoes, purses, jewelry, accessories and makeup before donations open on Feb. 1.

"We encourage students to come with friends or family," organizers said in a news release. "It is a lot of fun and the dresses are gorgeous."

Donations can be dropped off through March 8 at the Batavia library, 10 S. Batavia Ave. Any monetary donations will be used to help pay for tuxedo rentals and prom tickets for Batavia students, organizers said.

In 2023, Chip In provided 830 dresses to students at 42 schools as well as four charities. Although the nonprofit's mission is to help low-income and homeless families in Batavia, the hundreds of dresses and accessories will again be available for high school students from any school.

Chip In — an acronym for Community Helpers Impacting People in Need — is a restricted fund within the Batavia Foundation for Educational Excellence, a nonprofit organization.

The Batavia Public Library is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Dresses can be dropped off at the racks near the check-out desk, where tax donation letters will be available.

Donation checks should be made payable to the Batavia Foundation for Education Excellence, with "Chip In Batavia" in the memo.