Every April, thousands of girls ravage the racks at and Abby’s Closet during its annual prom dress giveaway in Portland for the perfect prom dress. And it all began with University alumna Abby Egland.
Egland started Abby’s Closet in 2004 when, after two years at the University, Egland and her mother were looking for something to do with all the old prom gowns left in her closet at home.
Egland called local charities and asked if she could donate her dresses to them, but most said they didn’t know what to do with them. Not wanting to just give them to Goodwill, Egland started an organization where women can donate their old prom dresses for high school girls to reuse for free.
“We thought we could recycle our gowns and just have one giveaway, but then it sort of snowballed. My friend in Chi Omega wanted to help get it started in the sororities on campus as a way to give back to the community as well,” Egland said.
Along with their year-round drop-off station at the Eugene Buffalo Exchange, the University sororities are collecting donations for Abby’s Closet in preparation for the big giveaway in April. University sophomore Alexxandria Sielicky, the community service chair of Chi Omega, hopes to collect around 4,500dresses from all the sororities on campus to donate to Abby’s Closet.
“It’s great because every girl has the chance to go to prom. Many young women donate dresses that they probably had a great time and wonderful memories in. And, to pass the dress along for new girls to have a great time in the dress as well is just an amazing thing,” Sielicky said.
Cassie Passon went to Abby’s Closet prom dress giveaway for her junior and senior prom dresses a few years ago. For her senior year, Passon got a one-of-kind dress that she has never seen anyone else wear.
Currently a sophomore at the University of Portland, Passon had such a great experience that she joined the student advisory board and helped coordinate donations in the Portland area for Abby’s Closet while she was still in high school.
“It made doing other activities that go along with prom so much easier because you didn’t have to spend so much money on a nice prom dress. Instead of buying a dress junior year, I chipped in with my friends and got a limo, and then senior prom, I went to a nice dinner that I paid for with the money I would have spent on a prom dress,” Passon recalled.
Abby’s Closet giveaway doesn’t just include an endless supply of prom dresses — there is also an array of jewelry and purses available to complete the look.
“To some degree, it’s almost overwhelming because there are so many options, which is good because you could try it on and see what it looks like and choose from like 5,000 dresses,” Passon said.
This year will mark the sixth annual prom gown giveaway, which will be held all day April 10 and 11 at the DoubleTree Hotel-Lloyd Center in Portland.
“It just takes away the stress of not having enough money for a prom dress, and lets them enjoy a memorable high school event that everyone should be able to go. Even the girls that can afford a dress could find something that nobody else is going to wear. Where else are you going to go and find 5,000 dresses in one spot?” Egland said.
After providing girls with free dresses to make their prom a night to remember for more than half a decade, the organization started by a University alumna has continued to grow throughout the state with the help of University sororities and local donations.
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