Wyckoff Teens Help Needy Girls 'Say Yes to the Dress' With Operation Prom

This past week, I received such a wonderful compliment from one of my www.amorejourney.com/blog readers. She asked me where I meet such amazing women to write about. I feel blessed to say,"everywhere I go." Some are friends, or friends of friends but most are strangers I've been grateful to meet along the way. Meet two amazing high school girls -- Amy and Cheyenne from Wyckoff -- who are making a difference. They have left a special place in my heart for what they are doing to help needy girls say "yes to the dress" with Operation Prom.

In the next few weeks, prom season will officially begin for two Wyckoff high school seniors, Amy Na and Cheyenne Wickham.They’ll be swapping photos of runway models wearing their favorite gowns, planning shopping excursions, and finalizing arrangements for prom night for their own separate high schools -- Bergen Academies for Amy and Ramapo High School for Cheyenne.

While the two friends will be shopping for their own gowns, they will also be sorting through donated formals to give low income teens a night to remember. By the time prom season is in full swing, they will return a second year to Garfield High School and Rosa Parks High School in Paterson to outfit 200 or more teenage girls with free stylish prom wear.

Amy first knew she wanted to get involved in this service project after reading an article in Seventeen Magazine a few years ago. “The story was about a girl who got involved in a similar organization," she recalls. “After reading her story, I was so inspired by her experience, I knew I wanted to do something similar to help girls my age.”

She tagged up with Cheyenne, friends since the Eighth Grade, and together, they spent a year investigating similar groups.That’s when they learned about Operation Prom.

Operation Prom, a non-profit organization, was established in 2005 to provide free prom dresses and tuxedo rentals to teens who are in severe financial need and can’t afford an outfit for the prom. It was started by self-proclaimed “promologist,” Noel D’Allaco, when she worked as an event planner and started collecting bridesmaids dresses from clients to donate to students from her own high school in Yonkers, NY. Starting as a grassroots organization, Operation Prom now has both local and national sponsors as well as local chapters in more than 12 states.

Eager to start their own local chapter in Wyckoff, the girls contacted Noel to see if they could work with Operation Prom. Although this was a first time request from teenagers, Noel felt the girls were dedicated enough to make a difference, and mentored them along the way.

Last spring, the co-founders presented the idea to principals from the Garfield and Paterson high schools, and quickly got the OK to proceed. They advertised locally for gently used bride maids and prom dresses. With the help of their local community, hundreds of dresses ultimately arrived on their doorsteps. Then they held prom events at each school and girls came to "say yes to the dress."

This year, despite their college searches, busy schedules and other demands, Amy and Cheyenne are again up to the challenge. This month, they will start collecting bridesmaids dresses and gently used gowns and will host a dress event at both schools later in the Spring.

Once they start college, the girls say they want to continue to help with Operation Prom. “This experience has taught me that, however small, I can make a difference,” says Amy.

If you would like to learn more about Operation Prom, go to www.operationprom.org . To contact Amy or Cheyenne on how to donate dresses, send an email to amy@helpprom.org or cheyenne.lin28@gmail.com

Thanks, girls, for believing you both can make a difference in someone's life. Keep up the good work