The Southgate Community Center’s gym was transformed into a stylish boutique on Saturday afternoon at the Ninth Annual Diva Central dress giveaway.  Hundreds of girls who attend South Lakes, Herndon, Chantilly and other local high schools shopped in search of their dream prom gown. 

Best of all  - the dresses were  free. So were the shoes, bags and other accessories at the event sponsored by Reston Community Center.

Girls perused potential outfits donated by community residents, mainly through drives organized by the Reston Community Center and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Fairfax County Alumnae Chapter. 

Sorority volunteers set up the boutique, staffed the dressing rooms, and checked in the shoppers. Theta's Patrice Hernandez said the goal is to make the prom financially accessible to more students.

 “By the time you have your hair done, buy your shoes, dress, and accessories—it’s really expensive," she said. "We want to see more students given the opportunity to go to prom.”

South Lakes’ High School staffer Liz Knapp, who has chaperoned several proms over the years, says  the prom is not only a rite of passage, it also may be the fanciest event the students have ever attended. 

“It’s also very moving to see the pride they take in themselves … in dressing up and feeling grown up," she said.  “In a world in which traditions seem to be disappearing and social landscapes are shifting, going to prom is one of the few events left that provides a sense of continuity.”

Sherouk Bedour and Bedour Ezzelden, juniors at South Lakes, were shopping with their mom, Hanan Ahmad, on Saturday. They said they found everything they needed right away.

Diva Central also raffled off prizes donated by local businesses, such as dinner gift certificates, tanning sessions and salon splurges.