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However, thanks to a local woman’s quest and drive to help others, Logan High School girls will be able to attend the prom this year without cutting into their parent’s wallets.

For the past six years, Connie Brandt has been reaching out to the community to help with the Prom Dress Recycling Program, and has been very successful in her mission.

Through Brandt’s efforts and the support of the community, she has been able to help hundreds of girls who otherwise wouldn’t have had the opportunity to attend prom due to budget restraints.

Each year, Brand asks the community to dig deep into their closets and donate gently used prom dresses to the program.

Last year, Brandt said 24 girls took advantage of the program, which mean 24 girls were able to attend the prom that maybe wouldn’t have done so without the benefit of this program. Altogether Brandt estimates she collected 40 dresses for the program last year.

“Some of the dresses are brand new,” Brandt said. “And sometimes people will go to resale shops and purchase the dresses and bring them to me.”

In the past, Brandt has had as many as 90 dresses to offer through the program. However, this year she has only collected 12 gently used dresses so far and has purchased five brand new dresses.

“It’s a shame we don’t have more dresses, but I’m hoping to get more in so more girls will be able to attend the prom,” Brandt added. “The community has been so generous in helping us each year.”

Dresses can be dropped off at The Salon on Main, 160 E. Main St., or Logan Clay Products through Friday, March 20.

Dresses will be given away on Saturday, March 21 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Logan Clay Products. “This year will be a little different,” Brandt said. “The give away will only be one day, so girls wanting to pick out a prom dress need to be attentive of the date – Saturday, March 21 and also that the pick up designation is Logan Clay Products.”

According to Brandt, there’s no criteria to meet in order to be a part of this program to receive a dress. Anyone going to the prom can go into Logan Clay on Saturday and pick out a dress.

“And it’s free – there’s no charge at all,” she added.

Brandt requests that all dresses be dry-cleaned before they are donated to the Salon or Logan Clay. “Some of these dresses are very expensive,” Brandt remarked. “I know some parents pay $400 or $500 for their daughter’s dress, just to wear it one night.”

Brandt started the Prom Dress Recycling Program after she discovered other outlying communities – including Columbus – were doing the same.

“I heard they were doing this in Columbus, and thought to myself, girls from Logan can’t afford to drive to Columbus for a prom dress, so why not just start a program here,” Brandt explained. “If any community needed it, Logan needed something like this.

“I want to thank everyone who made last year’s prom dress drive successful,” she said. “A special thanks to the ladies at the Salon on Main who helped us collect the dresses; and the generous girls and parents who gave their lightly-worn dresses.”

Gracious and very grateful for all the support, Brandt added, “You should feel good about contributing your dresses because the girls who receive them are very grateful.”

For more information on the Prom Dress Recycling Program, contact Brandt at 740-385-7942.