Girls find frills and thrills at Freeman fundraiser

It was the dress of her dreams.

“I’m in love with it,” said Rechelle Lewis, modeling a strapless satin gown the color of daffodils.

She kept it on for more than an hour Friday night after it first arrived at Freeman High School’s Prom Dress Extravaganza. On Saturday, she tried it on again.

“I don’t want to take it off,” said the 17-year-old, twirling around to accentuate the pouff of her floor-length dress.

The other girls oohed and ahhed over the gown’s lustrous yellow fabric, the delicate sequins sewn into the skirt and the way it made their friend look like royalty.

With an original price tag of more than $500, the dress was for sale at just half the price Saturday.

And Lewis, a senior planning for the perfect prom, had to have it. “I pulled the daddy card,” she confessed with a smile. “He’s golfing with my brother in Palm Springs, so he owes me.”

The coveted dress was among more than 100 gently used gowns at the Prom Dress Extravaganza, a senior all-night fundraiser organized by parents of Freeman High School’s Class of 2007.

For a seller’s fee of $10 per gown or $25 for three, girls or their mothers could sell all the formal attire hanging in their closets. For a $5 admission, girls who didn’t want to spend a hefty sum on a new prom dress could try on dresses at the high school and buy the gowns for a fraction of the price.

On Saturday, an assortment of dresses – ranging from sizes 2 to 16, and in a wide array of colors, such as basic black to bright coral, turquoise and fuchsia – hung from racks that lined nearly the full length of Freeman High School’s gym. While many had been worn only once, some were brand new with tags. They included designer name brands such as Alyce, Tiffany and Jessica McClintock and ranged in price from as little as $10 to $250.

“This is a better selection of dresses than any store in Spokane,” said Becky Floch, one of the parents helping out at the event. “We have some drop-dead gorgeous gowns here, from the simple and sleek to the really fancy ones with sequins. … We don’t have any dresses that are the same.”

Gaggles of girls, mostly from Freeman High School, spent several hours perusing the racks then trying the dresses on in a changing area fashioned from cafeteria tables and butcher paper located in the back of the gym. “Dressing Room,” stated the signs. “Ladies Only.”

Throughout the early afternoon, an occasional squeal would emanate from the back of the gym.

“I want this dress!” cried one girl as she stood before a full-length mirror.

Lewis, who was first runner-up this year for both the Miss Washington Teen USA and the National American Miss pageants, has a closet full of formal attire at home, but she was hoping to wear a different dress for the prom. When she discovered the yellow gown amid the other dresses, Lewis immediately knew it was the one, she said.

“Ever since I tried it on, I didn’t want to take it off,” she said, her voice full of yearning.

Her friend Carley Heinen also modeled several dresses, including a strapless coral gown with classic lines for only $30, and a more elaborate scarlet satin gown with a Swiss-dot overlay and floral appliqués for $250. A sophomore, Heinen attended the prom last year wearing a dress she borrowed from a friend. This time, she wanted to buy one of her own. But with more formal dances in her future, Heinen said she couldn’t imagine buying a new dress each time.

“I’ll splurge for my senior year, but for now, (the used prom dress event) is perfect,” said the 15-year-old.

Rose Miller, one of the parent organizers, came up with the Prom Dress Extravaganza idea after watching her daughter, Jennesa, exchange dresses with her friends. “Why don’t you girls have a big party?” she suggested. Before she knew it, the exchange turned into an areawide fundraiser.

Jennesa Miller, 18 and a senior, brought three dresses to sell Saturday and ended up finding a rare teal gown with a rhinestone belt and exquisite floral sequins to wear to next month’s prom. She got the thumbs-up from her friends the minute she walked out of the dressing room. “It’s beautiful,” one girl said. “It looks great with your hair.”

To finish the look, Jennesa Miller plans to add spaghetti straps to the dress and wear matching rhinestone jewelry.

But she won’t wear high heels. “I have to do flip-flops,” she said. “My date is pretty short.”