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Suburban Business Owner Hosts Prom Dress Giveaway for Teenagers in Need

Adodo Robinson, the owner of Chez Delali Salon and Spa and organizer, started the giveaway 11 years ago to give back to her community

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A prom dress giveaway in Olympia Fields, hosted by the owner of Chez Delali Salon and Spa, is paving the way for students to feel like Cinderella and make their dreams come true. NBC 5’s Karen Aguilar reports.

It is a night most high school students will remember forever: prom.

However, affording everything needed for prom - like a dress and shoes - has become increasingly difficult for some.

So, a prom dress giveaway in Olympia Fields is paving the way for the students to feel like Cinderella, making their dreams come true.

At a recent giveaway, array of dresses with different colors and sizes were on full display at Chez Delali Salon and Spa - and they were all free.

Several girls came to pick up their Cinderella dress like 18-year-old Tatiana Joseph. She and her mom, Tian, drove all the way from Aurora.

“It is a special moment," said Tian through tears, "We’ve been through so much, it is really a release."

Prom is a rite of passage, but some like the Josephs can't afford it.

"All the dresses we were watching were over 300, 500 so this is a big break for us," said Tian.

The Prom Dress Giveaway allowed Tatiana to enjoy the dance before she graduates from Metea Valley High School.

"I am going with a date," she said, smiling in a pink dress with a mermaid-type fit. "I am really excited because we are trying to match colors a little bit."

Adodo Robinson, the owner of Chez Delali Salon and Spa and organizer, started the giveaway 11 years ago. 

She said one of her clients told her how expensive prom was and it gave her the idea to host the annual giveaway to give back to the community. 

She said COVID stalled the giveaway in 2020 and 2021, but now it is back to continue helping dozens of students. 

"They are glad that they came and found a dress and had an opportunity to go to prom because once they leave high school they realize they needed that to celebrate the closure of that chapter," said Robinson.

"I want to thank them so much for doing this for everyone and all the girls that will be lucky like Tatiana today to get a dress," said Tian, in tears. 

Robinson said the next giveaway will be on Saturday, March 25 and encourages people to come out.

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