Mothers Trust Foundation, Zengeler Cleaners announce Prom Dress Collection Drive
Mothers Trust Foundation, Zengeler join hands with College of Lake County and University Center for 2024 event
Submitted by John Coxon
A signature event for high school students each year is their school prom. For many, the excitement and joy of prom may be out of reach because of the high cost of dresses, accessories and formal wear. That problem is addressed by the partnership of Mothers Trust Foundation (MTF) of Lake Forest and Zengeler Cleaners and their annual formal wear giveaway. Zengeler and MTF have announced plans for the 2024 event to be held the weekend of April 12-14, at the University Center of Lake County (UCLC) in Grayslake.
"Zengeler Cleaners is excited to once again support this important event," said Tom Zengeler, president of Zengeler Cleaners. "Prom is one of those activities students remember for many years beyond high school. Mothers Trust, the University Center and Zengeler Cleaners want to ensure that the cost of a prom dress isn't the reason someone cannot attend. Thanks to generous donations of apparel from former students and many of our wonderful customers, we'll be able to eliminate that obstacle for thousands of students. We recently contacted school districts in Northern Illinois, who have so generously supported this event in previous years so they can schedule their dress collection drives in February and March of 2024."
Zengeler Cleaners has been spearheading the dress collection drive since 2003, receiving more than 74,000 donated dresses, as well as thousands of pairs of shoes, jewelry and other accessories. Students in need of a dress are invited to "shop" at the distribution events each spring, where they can find their dream outfit. The shopping events are held at the University Center of Lake County, all coordinated by Mothers Trust Foundation.
An important aspect of the MTF and Zengeler partnership is the educational component, further supported by both UCLC and the College of Lake County (CLC). In addition to their perfect prom apparel, students also receive information about continuing education opportunities at CLC and UCLC, including career path guidance and the availability of financial assistance. As Mothers Trust Foundation always says, "It's more than a dress!" Best yet, participating students can do so with absolutely no cost for any of the services, apparel and accessories.
Zengeler Cleaners provides several important services for the collection drive. In addition to working with area high schools to solicit donations of lovingly worn apparel from students, their stores also serve as collection points for donations from individuals and businesses. Zengeler Cleaners then inspects, repairs as needed and cleans all donated items at no cost to MTF or students, ensuring everyone looks their best on their special evening. Thanks to the generous contributions of so many individuals and businesses, Zengeler Cleaners is also able to support a number of other prom dress distribution events throughout Northern Illinois.
You can learn more about Mothers Trust Foundation at motherstrustfoundation.org.
For information about Zengeler Cleaners, visit zengelercleaners.com.
Zengeler Cleaners' stores are in Northbrook, Deerfield, Northfield, Winnetka, Long Grove and two stores in Libertyville. Zengeler Cleaners - "America's first family of dry cleaning."