Jackson-Milton Student Organizes Formal Wear Donation Effort

NORTH JACKSON, Ohio – More than 50 gowns and formal wear pieces have been collected for Jackson-Milton High School’s Classy Closet, a donation effort initiated by a student.

Junior Caty Carnes, who is the mastermind behind the dress clothes drive, noticed fellow Jackson-Milton students weren’t attending dances. 

“I realized that some people weren’t going to dances because of the cost of dresses and clothes, so I wanted to help,” she said. 

Last fall, Carnes began planning a dress clothes drive for gently worn formal wear and accessories aimed at launching in time for the school prom in May.

With the help of friend and Jackson-Milton junior Lauren Smaldino, Carnes worked with the Jackson-Milton administration and created flyers and a social media account to organize the drive, which launched in February. 

The drive is collecting homecoming and prom dresses, dress shoes, purses, suits, dress pants, dress shirts, suit jackets and ties. It continues through the end of March.

Jackson-Milton students will then be invited to shop the Classy Closet in April to select their prom attire.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.