The Girls Run the World Club (GRTW) at the Octorara Junior-Senior High School will hold its annual Dress to Express Positive Prom Showcase on Friday, March 8. During the event, students will be able to view some of the prom dresses that are available for "purchase" from Kacie's Kloset in exchange for donations of nonperishable food items for the Octorara Area Food Cupboard.

The showcase will be held in the high school auditorium during lunch from 10:27 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. In years past, the showcase featured a runway fashion show, but this year, students will be able to view a display of various garments during their scheduled lunch periods.

The show is being organized by Tina O'Connor, GRTW adviser, a licensed professional counselor from Experience Positive Therapy in Parkesburg; her intern, Lindsay Corkery, a master's student at West Chester University; Octorara junior and GRTW member Jasmine Plata-Carillo; and Kate Dill, school counselor. 

"Jasmine is helping me set up the auditorium with Lindsay. We will have 15 mannequins set up so students can come down during lunch to see what is available," O'Connor explained. "They can purchase a beautiful gown, tuxedo or suit for donations of canned food items that are then donated to the food cupboard."

Kacie's Kloset is open to students on Thursdays after school beginning at 2:30 p.m.

GRTW, an after-school mentoring program, and Kacie's Cause partner to operate Kacie's Kloset. Kacie's Cause is a nonprofit organization that promotes awareness of and education about drug abuse. The charity is named for Kacie Rumford, who died in 2013 at the age of 23 from an overdose.

Dresses in Kacie's Kloset are sorted by size and displayed on racks. There are also separate shelves containing shoes and accessories, along with a small selection of tuxedos. The clothing is suitable for prom, homecoming and school formals.

Dress donations from the community are added to the room on an ongoing basis. Those who would like to donate items may drop them off at the high school office, 226 Highland Road, Atglen, during business hours. For more details about donating, contact Dill at kdill@octorara.org or O'Connor at experiencepositivetherapy@gmail.com.