It can be easily said that the Taft High School Alumni Association has given back to the Taft community. Another to look out for is the Taft Alumni Prom Dress Giveaway Event. In doing this they are helping seniors find free dresses in place of regular dresses which can range from 300-800 dollars.
Taft Assistant Principal Ryan Glowacz said, “One of the members who graduated from Taft in the seventies, she still lives in the area, and she had this idea of collecting new prom dresses just for Taft students.”
MaryBethe Kelly graduated from the class of ‘78 and has been collecting dresses for a while but due to the pandemic this is the year she decided to donate. The official Taft Alumni Association was organized to provide alumni with the means to continue the friendships developed while at Taft and to provide improvements and services for the school.
There will be over 30 dresses to be given out and kept by the winners. Along with that a large variety of long and short dresses. Shoes are also included with the giveaway courtesy of Kelly herself. If you are chosen for this event you will pick a time slot to choose and try on the shoes and dresses.
Glowacz wants students to remember, “All students, when they graduate from Taft, are automatically members of the Taft Alumni Association.” This is why there are so many opportunities to give back. For example, in spring of 2022 they created a jersey, funded by the TAA, to sell and fundraise for the football team.
Taft Alumni Marissa Raddi said, “I feel like the prom dress giveaway is really beneficial considering the price of things right now. It benefits students by allowing them to spend funds towards other things such as makeup and hair.”
This directly affects senior students as prom is quickly approaching and this is their last big school event. One particular senior, Tessa Owerko, weighed, “ I’d give it a try, the dresses are very pretty so maybe I’ll find one I love.”
Another senior, Bernadette Martensen, said, “This benefits senior students who need to work to provide for themselves and others so some of the financial responsibility isn’t on them.”
As a former student herself, Raddi explained, “This is important to me because I remember being stressed about prom and this could offer some relief. Giving back as a Taft Alumni shows what Taft taught about community and helping others. ”
Emails circulating the school have caused talk amongst the senior class, how do they participate? In order to participate in the event, you have to fill out the short google form that is at the end of this article. The Taft Alumni hopes to have a good amount of engagement from the class of 2024 because of the generous donation
If you are interested in being gifted a free dress and pair of shoes of your choosing please check your email for updates from Ryan Glowacz. The Taft student body can always rely on the Taft Alumni to initiate these fun and exciting ways to engage students in helpful benefits. Hopefully we see many Taft seniors in Kelly’s dress donations.
