Prom Dresses and Tuxedos Donated To Victims of Texas Wildfire

Prom dresses and tuxedos were donated to students who lost their homes to the Texas wildfire that destroyed more than 250 structures in the Fritch, Texas area.

On Saturday, the Sanford-Fritch High School prom went on as scheduled, less than a week after a devastating wildfire burned 4 square miles of land and property near the area.

Reports indicate that the fire destroyed more than 40 homes of students enrolled at the high school, and out of those students, about a dozen junior and seniors were to attend the prom. The teens lost their prom dresses and tuxedos to the fire.

News spread out and local businesses and individuals did what they can to provide for the teens in need by donating prom dresses and tuxedos. Superintendent Jim McClellan said, “The prom dress thing is what’s really gone crazy.” He said that there were about four or five girls in need of dresses, but the response from the community was overwhelming, as they got more than a hundred donations.

According to My High Plains, several flower shops in the area donated flowers, corsages, and boutonnieres to the prom. Some of them include J&E Wholesale Floral Company and Brown’s Flowers.

Sharon Heitt of Brown’s Flowers said, “When you have nothing, how do you pay for… every kid deserves to go to prom.”

One of the kids who lost her prom dress to the fire, Christa White said, “I was determined to be here. I was committed.”

Everyone in the community helped the teens get the prom that they wanted. Amarillo Globe News stated that aside from the prom dresses that were donated, $340 in gift cards were also given to each of the students who lost their homes. Gruver State Bank also donated money for the hair and makeup of the girls attending prom. There was even an anonymous donation to have the prom catered by Great Western Dining of Borger.

Leticia Tindall, who lost her home and her prom dress, said, “It’s really a great experience just to be at our senior prom… to have a normal night and not feel like… just to forget about everything.”

The other prom dresses that were donated to the school will be used for setting up a service for other teens who might need prom dresses in the future. Connect Community Services, a non-profit organization, will be in charge of the remaining prom dresses and other donations that were left over from the high school prom.

[Images via JC Cortez for Amarillo Globe News]