Every girl dreams of prom – what they’ll wear, who they’ll go with.

But what’s prom without a dress?

Dress shopping for prom can be insanely expensive. Nowadays, a simple prom dress can cost around $500. 

Cinderella’s Closet eases the burden of dressing for prom and has helped students at GRC for the past 12 years.

First started at GRC in 2010 by members of the Smoke Signals staff, Sarah Burkhardt and Carrington Carpenter, the Closet was eventually passed down to a group of ladies, one being Taylor Tolle.  

“Once we took over, the shop where we stored the dresses actually closed so we were responsible for finding a new home,” said Tolle, a 2012 graduate. “We partnered with Lorra Graham from Graham’s Western Wear & Boot Store who had an extra office space on Main Street that had its own entrance. We all contributed what we could out of our pockets as much as possible. We received other offers from people in the community and donations.”

When Graham’s needed the space, the dresses were moved to the new high school and thanks to Administrative Secretary Christi Jones, are now located in a large storage area with a dressing room.

Mrs. Jones has stepped up and made it her mission to take over Cinderella’s Closet, making sure no girl is left without the perfect prom dress for the big night. “When I first learned about Cinderella’s Closet, I knew I could help it reach its fullest potential.”

Mrs. Jones wanted to make Cinderella’s closet an unforgettable experience for the girls coming in to try on dresses, and that all started with finding the perfect place to try on dresses. “I found myself wandering around GRC, trying to find a space where we could keep Cinderella’s Closet,” said Mrs. Jones. “I came across a stairway near our aux gym that I thought would be a perfect space to convert into a closet.”

Principal Keene agreed to the idea and after a lot of hard work, Cinderella’s closet finally opened. “With the help of my senior office workers, we were able to get to a point where we could say ‘Let’s do this.’ It’s still not completely done, but we are fitting dresses,” said Mrs. Jones.

Having access to all of these beautiful prom dresses at GRC is super convenient. Even if time is running out and you can’t find a dress, Cinderella’s Closet is a great place to check out, you’re guaranteed to find something you feel great in.

“When we think about these young adults on prom night and what they are thinking, if I can help bring that joy to just one of them, then that makes my heart so happy,” Mrs. Jones said. 

This cause is so important to Mrs. Jones because she knows from her own personal experience that shopping for prom can be outrageously expensive, and it just isn’t always realistic. “When I was a senior at GRC it was a tough year, money was tight and a prom dress wasn’t a priority,” she recalled.

Cinderella’s Closet is a great cause to support. If you have any dresses not being used, this is a great way to repurpose them and give back to the community. Please drop off any donations in the front office.

 “Ladies and gentlemen want to look their best and this is their last night to really bring it,” says Mrs. Jones. “These young people want to look and feel great with their peers. It’s not a competition on who has the most expensive dress or who’s the best dressed. However they get there doesn’t matter!”