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The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

    Sorority makes prom dreams a reality

    girls pose with dresses

    Alpha Sigma Tau members volunteer to help high school girls pick out the perfect dress,
    shoes and accessories when they come in for Project Prom. Girls with financial
    needs in Tangipahoa Parish are chosen by their guidance counselors for
    excellence in and outside of the classroom. 
    Courtesy of Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority

    For the fourth year in a row, girls in Tangipahoa Parish who cannot afford to attend their high school prom will have the opportunity to pick out a gown and accessories for free.

    Project Prom was started in 2012 by Hammond natives Rachael Rolling and Elizabeth Durham as a way to give back to the local community. Over the years the local project has grown through partnerships with Southeastern’s chapter of Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority and Four Seasons Cleaners owner Melissa Mally. 

    “We believe that prom is something that everyone should have the chance to experience,” said Shelby Szelei, a freshman biology major and member of Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority. “We want to help these girls to have that special prom night that they will remember forever by taking the monetary burden off of their shoulders and providing them with a formal outfit fit for a princess.”

    Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority volunteered for the first annual event in 2012. The sorority then partnered with the co-founders again in 2013, and the sorority was named the primary sponsor of Tangipahoa Project Prom in 2014. 

    The sorority will be hosting the fourth annual Project Prom on March 14. Girls invited to the event have been referred by guidance counselors due to exhibiting excellence in and outside of the classroom. This year girls from Livingston Parish are also being invited to the event. 

    “When they come to our event, they are given their own personal shoppers who help them pick out an outfit consisting of a gown, accessories, shoes and more,” said Szelei, a member of the local philanthropy committee. “The most exciting part is that it is all free of charge.” 

    Alpha Sigma Tau is currently accepting donations for Project Prom. The sorority is looking for new or gently used formal dresses, formal shoes, accessories, purses, hair/nail appointments and other prom necessities. The sorority accepts monetary, business sponsorships and gift certificates, which will go toward purchasing additional options to enhance the girls’ experiences. 

    Donations can be dropped off to Downtown Cleaners in Hammond at 2000 Anita Blvd., KSLU in D Vickers Hall or Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority House behind the University Center. The sorority will be collecting donations until March 13, the day before the event. 

    “We would love to have donations as soon as possible so we can organize everything,” said Szelei. “We are appreciative of any donations because this event is made possible by the generous donations of local businesses, individuals in our community and churches in the area.”

    The sorority encourages college students with gently used dresses they can no longer wear to donate them and help make high school prom dreams come true across the parish.   

    “It is saddening to know that some young and beautiful women are not able to go to their own prom just because they cannot afford to,” said Szelei. “Hopefully with our help, they will be able to have the night that they have always dreamed of.”

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