Philanthropy dresses local community
By Kimberly Uslin
Elm Staff Writer
This April, the sisters of Alpha Chi Omega will be holding their fifth Annual Gown Giveaway. As the name may suggest, this event is essentially a gown drive to benefit the students of Kent County High School.
“We ask students to raid their closets for gently used Birthday Ball or prom dresses that they’d like to donate for the cause,” said event coordinator Beth Warehime.
On April 23, the sisters of Alpha Chi will go to Kent County High School and set up a ‘boutique’ for students, with the donated dresses arranged by size and color to give the students a true shopping experience. There, students who may not have been able to afford a beautiful dress for their prom will have the opportunity to find the perfect gown.
The event is in its fifth year, with this year marking the first time it has been held for two years consecutively. Warehime is optimistic for continued success.
“We are hopeful that we can continue to make it an annual event.” In order to promote this success, campus-wide emails were sent out before break to encourage WC students to bring back gowns, or tuxedoes, that they may have had lying at home.
The gowns will be collected for two weeks prior to the event. The sisters of Alpha Chi will have tables set up in Hodson Commons the weeks of April 9, and April 16, where WC students can drop off their formalwear. Additionally, students need not worry about the security or delivery of their dresses, as the sisters will always have someone present to account for the donation.
While donors may not be able to personally witness the event, Warehime emphasized the importance of WC students’ generosity. “This is an extremely emotional event for the students receiving the dresses,” she said. “The girls definitely look forward to the event, and this experience literally makes their prom. There have been several instances every year that students cry because they are so grateful for the opportunity to have a nice dress to wear. I know it may seem materialistic, but thinking back to your own individual prom, you of course wanted to look your best, and these girls can with our help. Knowing that you help make someone’s high school memories that much more special is something truly unique and unforgettable.”
While the Gown Giveaway is generally aimed toward female students at Kent County High School, there have been occasions where a male student came looking for something to wear. “One year we received a single tuxedo along with the dresses, and there happened to be one young man who came to the giveaway, just to check. The tuxedo ended up fitting him perfectly,” said Warehime. Because of this, the Alpha Chi Gown Giveaway welcomes and appreciates tuxedo donations as well.
Despite a lack of explicit connection between Alpha Chi’s main philanthropy and the Gown Giveaway, the sorority sees the event as correlative with their ideology.
“Alpha Chi’s philanthropy is domestic violence, so we try to make as many efforts as possible to support all women, young and old. While this event does not specifically donate or relate to domestic violence, it does support the less fortunate women of Kent County . We try to support our community in whatever way we can,” said Warenhime.
The Alpha Chi Omega Gown Giveaway provides the opportunity to truly make a difference in the community, simply by donating a piece of clothing. Instead of hanging in the closet, your prom dress or Birthday Ball tuxedo could transform a disadvantaged student’s entire Prom night.
For more information, please contact event coordinator Beth Warehime at bwarehime2@washcoll.edu.