A high school prom is an important event for many young women, an experience they anticipate throughout their teenage years.

Unfortunately, the expense of attending a prom is something not all families can afford, especially during these difficult economic times.

One group of women at Apex United Methodist Church is hoping to alleviate the burden of high costs by offering free prom dresses to area teens.

The Prom Shop will be held Friday, Feb. 19 from 6-8 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 20 from 9 a.m. to noon at Apex UMC. More than 100 dresses along with shoes, jewelry and other accessories will be available for young ladies to obtain at no charge.

The donated items are practically new and consist of current styles. The dresses range in sizes 0 to 18 with a wide range of colors.

“There are a lot of girls that would like to go to the prom but the way the economy is not everyone has the finances to go,” said shop committee member Sydney Froom. “We have so many young people here in Apex so we asked for donations and they have been pouring in.”

“It’s a very big expense to go to the prom,” said shop committee member Jann Bridgers. “Some of the dresses are at least $100. Then you have alterations and you have to buy jewelry, shoes and a purse. I can imagine it would cost up to $300 to $400. A lot of people can’t afford that.”

Froom got the idea for the Prom Shop last year when she saw many area Hispanic families struggling with financial problems. She spoke to Apex UMC Pastor Jose Louis about the idea and the program got underway.

“We got a late start last year and it was already close to prom time,” said Froom. “This year we got started much earlier and we have many more donations. We have dresses of every color you could imagine, all sizes and all different styles. These are all current, clean and ready to wear.”

Project organizers saw the event pay dividends in the first year as several teens were able to attend their prom as a direct result of the donations.

“We had a girl come in here who would not have been able to go to the prom had it not been for this (project),” said shop committee member Toni Carpenter. “The dress she put on was absolutely beautiful. It fit her perfectly and she looked like a baby doll. It brought tears to all our eyes.”

Organizers also stress that the shop is open to teens throughout the area and not just Apex.

“We had a woman from Knightdale last year who came in with her three daughters and they were all going to the prom,” said Froom. “She said they wouldn’t have been able to do it without this.

“This year we are really reaching out to a wider area. This is not just for people right here in Apex. In fact, there is probably a greater need in other areas. So we want people all over the area to know they can come here and get a beautiful dress for free.”