Nurse Susan Marino hosts the Prom Shop for students to find free clothes, shoes and accessories to wear to prom.

“Prom shop is the opportunity for young men and women to come in and browse through gently used suits, gowns, accessories that they may need for prom,” Marino said. “We all know prom is kind of expensive, so this is an opportunity for them to come through and look at our suits and our gowns at no cost to them.”

While working at Reynolds in 2008, Marino collected gowns, which went to the Frisco Junior League, but that charity was closed to Prosper, so she started a new Prom Shop for the community.

“When I was working at Reynolds, which was then the high school, I was asked to try to collect gowns for some needy kids,” Marino said. “I called Frisco, and they said ‘Oh we’re closed to Prosper, we’re only open to Frisco.’ I thought that was an opportunity for me to have something like this in Prosper.”

The community donates the gowns, suits and accessories.

“I’ve been doing this for so long so the community knows that I do this, so I’ve just had gowns coming in,” Marino said. “Ex-graduates will bring in gowns because they know that I’ve done this.”

Anyone is welcome to go to the Prom Shop. Students can also see Nurse Marino to look at the available dresses and suits after Prom Shop if they are still in need.

“This year we’ve invited any Gunter, Celina, and Prosper high school kid,” Marino said. “If Prosper knows someone else that wants to come from McKinney or Frisco, everyone is welcome.”

Everything at the Prom Shop is free, and the community and ex-graduates continue to donate more clothes and accessories to the Prom Shop.

“I have two daughters and I know how expensive prom can be,” Marino said. “[I want] to help these girls to be able to look beautiful at prom and not have to go through the cost of having prom. [I want to] put a smile on someone’s face.”