Prom dress collection under way at Zengeler Cleaners

With spring just a few short weeks away, prom season is already on the horizon for many area high schools.

That means all eight Zengeler Cleaners stores are now accepting donations for the 2020 prom dress collection drive, including accessories such as shoes, purses, jewelry and other formalwear accessories.

Zengeler Cleaners expanded the scope of its drive last year, now supporting the Glass Slipper Project in Chicago and Mothers Trust Foundation in Lake County.

GSP is an all-volunteer organization providing opportunities for area high school women to experience the joy of prom at their schools, while MTF provides a similar service for local high school students.

Both organizations will have "personal shoppers" available to assist students in selecting their dream apparel from a vast selection of prom dresses and accessories at no cost to students.

"Zengeler Cleaners has enjoyed an outstanding relationship with Glass Slipper for the past 18 years, and we're excited to renew our support for their fabulous project," said Tom Zengeler, president of Illinois' oldest cleaner.

"Last year, we had the opportunity to also partner with Mothers Trust Foundation, filling a need to offer a similar program for Lake County high schools. Our entire team is extremely excited to launch our 2020 collection drive."

Support for the annual prom dress collection drive has steadily grown through the years.

Since 2017, local students, not-for-profit organizations and generous individuals have donated an average of more than 6,000 dresses each year, along with an impressive array of accessories and jewelry.

Additionally, many area businesses have joined Zengeler Cleaners to support the two organizations' commitment to making the dream of prom come true for thousands of students in Northern Illinois.

MTF will host its 2020 distribution during the "Pop Up Prom Shoppe" at College of Lake County in Grayslake Friday and Saturday, April 4 and 5.

GSP will host its distribution on two separate Saturdays in cooperation with Chicago Public Schools. The location of this year's GSP shopping boutiques, along with the exact dates, will be announced in the coming weeks.

More information about Glass Slipper Project is available at glasslipperproject.org; learn more about Mothers Trust Foundation at motherstrustfoundation.org.

For more details about Zengeler Cleaners, visit www.zengelercleaners.com, or contact Tom Zengeler, (847) 272-6550, ext. 14.

Zengeler Cleaners' stores are in Deerfield, Hubbard Woods, Northfield, Winnetka, Long Grove, Northbrook and two locations in Libertyville.