Making prom possible: How a Milwaukee organization is giving teens a magical night
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — It's almost the biggest night of the year at Messmer High School. Prom is on Saturday, May 2.
"It's a magical time for students," said Messmer's principal, Shenora Staten-Jordan.
"This is something that you see in all the teen movies, they're like, we can't wait to go to prom," said junior Afjia Salaam.
After months of hard work in the classroom, students will get glammed up and dance the night away, but the experience can be expensive.
"There are still teenagers right now who are deciding, 'I don't know, can I go? I don't think I can go. That's for kids that can afford it,'" said Heather Perkins, who considers herself the "Fairy Prom-Mother."
"We want to give teenagers that feeling that, for one night, it's magical for them."
Perkins founded FashUp, a teen fashion show that raises money for prom tickets, along with Make Prom Possible, an online fundraiser that pays for prom tickets. The organizations also benefit The Cinderella Project MKE, a nonprofit that provides formal dresses and accessories for teens.
For Make Prom Possible, Perkins connects with the schools directly to purchase prom tickets.
"We work with guidance counselors, we work with principals and assistant principals, to determine who needs this," she said.
The donations have impacted thousands of students, including Salaam.
"It was kind of something that we had to plan out and think about beforehand, and break up the deposit and stuff like that," Afjia explained.
She has been working several jobs outside of school, hoping to make it to the big night.
"It's been stressful, but it's also very exciting, because I can't wait to be all dolled up."
The teen was already filled with gratitude when the managers of her group home bought her prom dress for her.
"To know that people care enough to be able to do stuff like that for you, it's very special," she said.
On Tuesday, Afjia found out her prom ticket will be free, along with tickets for some of her classmates, thanks to more than $1,000 distributed by Make Prom Possible.
"I was like, oh my gosh, really?" Salaam said. "To be able to hear, like, just a piece of all that stress is kind of taken off your shoulders, it's something you can't help but be grateful for."
The generosity gives teens a night they will remember forever.
"Just the thought of making one night a magical night, for a teenager who's been struggling, is everything," Perkins said.
Now that Afjia has her dress and her ticket, she plans to get accessories from The Cinderella Project.
To donate, links to FashUp, Make Prom Possible, and The Cinderella Project MKE can be found by clicking here.