2026 PROM DRESS GIVEAWAY A GREAT SUCCESS!!!!
WOW WOW WOW! Another fun year filled with happy students. We have thanked so many wonderful donors and volunteers, and we can’t express enough times how grateful we are for the support, donations, help, kindness and support we received from our community. We could not do it without the support, space and help from The Batavia Public Library and all their staff.
Our volunteers gave their time, support, and amazing organizing skills. Our hubbies helped assemble changing rooms, and schlep boxes of dresses back and forth. Our Fire Department moved volumes of donations from the lower to upper level of the library. Our Batavia football team moved everything left at the end of the event back to storage. BPS101 staff delivered all the racks and assembled them. Girl Scout Troops 757 and 890 organized the jewelry for us. Jeffrey Cesario Agency-Farmers Insurance collected jewelry and shoes for us. Misty and Cesar from the Library produced fabulous videos to spread the word. Support Over Stigma and USAgain donated over 200 brand new dresses and over 30 pairs of new/gorgeous shoes. Double Take Consignment in St. Charles donated many short and long dresses. We received many new dresses donated by Special Occasions and Peaches. New make-up was donated by Target and our community, and we received a grant from Meijer. KZ Salon donated 50 gift cards for $15 off! We had 7 amazing seamstresses who helped students with minor repairs and consultations. Limestone kept us full with treats, coffee and tea. And of course…. our amazing community donated hundreds of dresses, shoes, purses, new makeup and jewelry!
….the list goes on!!!!! WE ARE BEYOND GRATEFUL!
LOVE, MELINDA AND JOANNE
Here is our summary by the numbers:
Total number of STUDENTS receiving dresses: 331
Total number of LONG dresses chosen at this event: 508
Total number of SHORT dresses chosen at this event: 250
Number of dresses donated to 8 NON PROFITS : 534 long and 64 short
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GRAND TOTAL : 1042 long and 314 short dresses shared with students from 51 school districts and 7 Non Profits at the 2026 Chip In Prom Dress Give A Way!
Prom Dress Collection and Giveaway 2026
CHIP IN Batavia and the Batavia Public Library are back with their popular Prom Dress Giveaway event. CHIP IN’s mission is to assist low income and homeless Batavia families; however, this event is open to any student from any school district, regardless of need. The goal is to ensure that all students, regardless of income status, can enjoy this rite of passage and not sit out due to the typically high expense.
Our longtime partner, the Library will host the CHIP IN Batavia Prom Dress collection drive and giveaway event.
Clean dresses in good to excellent condition, as well as shoes, purses, and accessories can be dropped off at the Library Check Out Desk. Donations also may include wraps, hair items and new makeup.
Donations may be dropped off between Sunday, Feb. 1, and Friday, March 13, at the Library, 10 S. Batavia Ave, Batavia.
Monetary donations are appreciated and will be used to help pay for tuxedo rentals and prom tickets for Batavia students.
The Library is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Racks will be available, and items will be collected by the Check Out Desk. Tax donation letters will be available at the Check Out Desk, and donors are encouraged to ask at drop off. Contact the Library at 630-879-1393 for more information.
All dresses in the giveaway are free to any student from any school district, regardless of need.