This Saturday and Sunday, the nonprofit organization Chip In Batavia is hosting its 12th annual Prom Dress Giveaway event. The event is at the Batavia Public Library from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Chip In Batavia started as a group to cater to the needs of low-income and homeless students in Batavia. They provide help and many services, including paying for AP exams, athletic programs and even yearbooks.
“We address needs that the school district cannot because it’s out of their realm,” said co-founder Melinda Kintz.
While the organization focuses on helping people in Batavia, they have expanded this specific event to include anyone who needs a dress. There are many families that cannot afford to pay hundreds of dollars for a prom dress, and it is difficult for parents to have to say no.
“We wanted to take that off of the parents’ back, and the outpouring of support and donations and enthusiasm for the program netted us so many dresses, shoes, new makeup, jewelry, accessories that we had enough to share. So we opened it up to any student from anywhere that is in need of a dress,” said Kintz.
The dresses, accessories and other items available at the event are free, with enough left that people can sometimes take two dresses.
“We let the students take a long dress for their dance, and then they can get a short dress for graduation or some other festivities they have coming up for their junior [or] senior year,” Kintz said.
The items given away are top-quality, with people driving all the way from Champaign and Kenosha to Batavia to get a dress. At the event last year, approximately 800 dresses were given away, and the families taking them no longer had to worry about whether or not their child could enjoy prom because of the cost. This year, there are about 1,000 dresses ready to be worn.
“We’re just happy that we can help as many people as we do, [so] no one has to decide if they’re paying rent or utilities or groceries because of prom, and everybody that wants to go [with a] dress can get one from us and have a good time and enjoy their night without the stress of [the] cost of everything,” said Kintz.
