High school proms all over the state have been canceled because of COVID-19, meaning seniors are missing out on one of the last special nights they had left with all of their childhood friends. But a Lansing business is making it their priority to give them that night back — eventually.
Pierre’s Bridal, Prom and Tuxedo is used to seeing its upstairs prom section full of high school girls looking for that special dress from March to June. But now the store is empty and temporarily shut down.
Co-owner Sarah Samson got the idea to still hold a prom somewhere, just a little later than most high schools had originally scheduled, for seniors in the Mid-Michigan area.
The date for the make-up prom has not been determined yet, but Pierre’s says they’ll be posting updates on their social media pages when that date gets decided.
In the mean time, Sarah Samson and Pierre’s found something in their own store to help the community efforts with COVID-19. The pink garment bags their prom dresses usually go home in, are actually made out of polypropylene; the same material used to make medical masks.
The store decided to take their bags and make them into over 3,000 masks, donating them to local Lansing hospitals, as well as hospitals and nursing homes in metro-Detroit.
While canceling prom is still weighing heavy on the hearts of seniors and those at Pierre’s, Samson says she’s happy they’re able to give back to the community while working on something for the seniors.