Comerica Bank hosting 9th annual Prom Apparel Drive benefiting teens served by Dallas CASA

Your gently used formal wear could make a local teen’s prom night dream come true.

Comerica Bank is collecting clean prom dresses and formal wear for local teens who dream of a special prom night and might otherwise not be able to attend their high school prom.

Comerica Bank launched the prom dress drive benefiting Dallas CASA in 2015. Due to the success of the event, Comerica has added co-beneficiaries, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas and Collin County, and has remained committed to the drive each year since.

Clean and gently used formal wear is dropped off at participating Comerica Bank locations, then delivered to Dallas CASA and Boys and Girls Clubs of Dallas.

Members of Dallas CASA’s staff and Children’s Council sort the formal wear on shopping racks creating a shopping boutique in Dallas CASA’s training facility. Since the drive began in 2015, Comerica has collected and donated more than 6,000 items of formal wear.

On two special weekends in March, the temporary prom shopping boutique houses display racks of clothing and accessories, fitting rooms, alteration stations and beauty advice.

Teens served by Dallas CASA make appointments to select formal wear and accessories including shoes, purses and jewelry as well as gift bags of donated beauty products for their special night. For many teen victims of abuse or neglect, attending prom looking their best is a chance to feel like any other teen for a few hours.

Dallas CASA Children’s Council coordinates the shopping days. Event co-chairs are Jana Brosin, Anne Killebrew and Megan Martinez.

Items may be donated the entire month of February at select Comerica Bank locations (see listing).

Dallas CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) seeks to protect children, restore childhood and help child victims of abuse or neglect achieve their full potential. The agency’s trained and supervised community volunteers are assigned by judges to advocate for the best interests of children who have experienced abuse or neglect and are living in the protective care of the state.

For many children in foster care, their Dallas CASA volunteer is the only consistent, caring adult in their lives during a frightening, uncertain time. Dallas CASA envisions a day when all children experience safe childhoods and grow into resourceful, healthy adults.

Now in its 44th year, Dallas CASA serves more children than any of the more than 900 CASA programs nationwide. In 2023, 1,240 Dallas CASA volunteers were assigned to advocate for 2,151 children in protective care.

For the past five years, the agency has been able to provide an advocate for every Dallas child in need, but each year more are needed. To learn more, visit dallascasa.org.