prom night
'Everything but the date', high schoolers given free prom. Source: Shutterstock.

Each year at the Eau Claire High School in the US, around 60 percent of students cannot afford to go to the prom. Determined to enable every student to attend the ‘rite-of-passage’ event, the school held a surprise assembly this week to inform students that Belk, a US department store, would fund the entire event.

Everything – except the prom date which students will have to find themselves – comes included. The venue, decorations, tickets, formal wear, hair, makeup, food, flowers and anything else the students could need will be covered The State reported.

In the past, students would work to raise the funds to attend the annual dance but they won’t need to do that now and can continue focusing on school work.

Belk is even funding suit and dress fittings and pre-prom hair and makeup appointments. Department store representatives will attend the school later this month with samples of formalwear for students to try.

And it’s not just a free prom, Belk is also providing free book bags, clothes and school supplies to the ‘school closet’ which provides items like this for students in need.

The generosity is a part of a new project for the company called Project Hometown, a community outreach program which will span across 16 states, rewarding many more schools.

The prom will take place on March 24.

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