Prom season is quickly approaching and the YMCA of Selma-Dallas County and its Leaders Club are doing their part to make sure that every girl feels like a princess.

The YMCA is hosting a Prom Dress Drive, during which girls can donate any unneeded prom dresses to those that need a little help getting a dress.

Leaders Club advisor Ashlyn Goodwin established a similar drive at Tuskegee University during her freshman year in 2011.

“I’m happy to say it’s still going this year,” Goodwin said. “I thought why not bring it to my hometown?”

Goodwin brought the idea up to YMCA CEO Ann Murray, who loved it. The two began working together to make the idea a reality.

“I was just so excited [when she asked me],” Murray said. “We’ve had great successes with getting the prom dresses but also with building Leaders Club.”

Goodwin is also a teacher at Selma High School and said that she sees the need for a prom dress drive.

“With me working in the school system I see a lot of girls that have a need for a dress for prom because they don’t have the income,” Goodwin said. “The one thing I can say that makes it such a special event is the fact that it’s free. We don’t charge anything. The girls can really just come in.”

So far, around 50 dresses have been donated to the drive, and Murray said there is plenty of room for even more. Selma Steam Cleaners have also created a $5 coupon for each girl receiving a dress to help cover the cost of cleaning and pressing.

“We have lots of racks that we’re able to use. They’ve been loaned to us from the Little Lamb Sale, and so we have plenty of room for 50 more dresses,” Murray said.

“For people that would like to donate, [the dresses] can be short or long in any size, and we’ll put them on a hanger.”

Dresses can be donated until April 1 and can be dropped off at the front desk of the YMCA.

Friday, April 3 from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 4 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., girls can go to the YMCA to try on and pick out their dress to wear to their prom.

“We have plenty of space for them to try things on and choose,” Murray said.

Girls that attend a school in Selma or a surrounding city are welcome to take part in picking out a prom dress, but Goodwin and Murray ask that each girl bring a parent with them if possible and a form of ID to show what school the girl attends.

Goodwin said the outpour of support from the drive has been overwhelming, but she is excited to do what she can to make every girls prom a success.

“I’m just overwhelmed [at the response] … it’s truly a blessing,” Goodwin said.

“When they get done [with the dress], the prayer is that they would pass it down to someone else that needs it, and the Prom Dress Drive will continue long after we’ve done what we have done here.”