20 MARCH 2026 By Mark Hays Tessa Frey turned a simple idea into a community-wide effort that is helping foster teens across the Valley attend prom with confidence and dignity. Tessa, a sophomore at Xavier Prep, collected more than 400 prom and formal dresses through a dress drive that was showcased at a special boutique in February. The idea took form last summer when Tessa was selected to lead a National Charity League Leadership Project, which included grant funding to help cover dress cleaning and repairs, as well as display materials such as rolling racks and hangers. “The Camelback Mountain Chapter helped out by using its annual Ticktocker Day to sort, inspect, tag, and display the dresses,” Tessa said. More than 100 members participated in the event, held at the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. While Tessa initially expected a modest response, the final number of donations exceeded her expectations. “I couldn’t believe how many dresses we received,” she said. “I was expecting maybe 100 or 200, but we collected more than 400 dresses.” Of those donations, about 250 will be worn for prom. The shorter formal dresses will be saved for homecoming in the fall, and other donations are being distributed to partner organizations. “More casual dresses are being donated to Jose’s Closet and Hospice of the Valley’s White Dove Thrift Shoppe, and we even received a few business-forward dresses that will go to Dress for Success,” Tessa said. Rather than simply distributing the attire, Tessa wanted to create an experience that made each teen feel celebrated. “I didn’t want to just drop off what we collected – I wanted each girl to feel special,” she said. “Our NCL chapter took over over Jose’s Closet and turned it into a boutique with decorations, music, snacks, and all the dresses on display.” Teens from across the Valley were invited to shop with assistance from volunteers and select shoes, accessories, and a personalized “Get Ready for Prom” kit. As to what she hopes the teens take away from the experience, Tessa kept it simple: “I hope they found their dream dress and have an amazing night at prom,” she said, explaining that the success of the drive has inspired future projects. Xavier asked her to organize a similar dress drive for the upcoming Senior Fashion Show. What began as a leadership project grew into a meaningful event rooted in compassion and inclusion. Tessa’s efforts are helping ensure that more teens across the Valley can experience milestone moments like prom feeling confident, celebrated, and supported by their community. Prom dreams come true thanks to Arcadia teen’s dress drive Xavier sophomore Tessa Frey gathered over 400 dresses for youth in foster care. PHOTO COURTESY OF SARAH FREY LOCALLUXURYRE.COM Ǖ2YO':ƙƙ OOYY ůŬŪƙŮŪŭƙůŬűŪ EXTRAORDINARY ESTATES | ICONIC RESIDENCES KATRINA BARRETT @k:OƔƵ O@2O CATCH KATRINA’S LOCAL LUXURY LISTING OF THE WEEK - THURSDAYS AT 9PM ON FOX10! AQUARIUS AT SILVER SKY S×Ƶ }}£¸Ñ×Ƶ סƵ Ѳ¾ÊÑƵ ¾Ƶ 9Ü··ïƵ 9¾Ü¸×}£¸ƔƵ ס£ÑƵ ÑײƩÍ}· Ñ×}×Ƶ Í£¸ÑƵ ¾}Ñ×}²Ʃ£¸ÑÊ£ÍƵ Ñ͸£×ïƵ ×¾Ƶ סƵ ¡}Í×Ƶ ¾Ƶ ס ÑÍ×ƙ L¾°×£¸Ƶ Ü;Ê}¸Ƶ ²}ÑÑƵ ¾Ê¸ÑƵ סƵ ¡¾·Ƶ ×¾Ƶ }Ƶ ʾ¾²Ƶ ס}×Ƶ ²¾éÑ ¸}סƵ סƵ ;¾²£¸ƔƵ ;¾×¾ÊƵ ¸×Í×}£¸£¸Ƶ ÑÊ}ÑƔƵ ÑÊ}Ʃ²è² }·¸£×£ÑƔƵ }¸Ƶ ÑéÊ£¸Ƶ L}Í}£ÑƵ j}²²ïƵ è£éÑƙƵ Ñ£¸Ƶ ¾Í Ñ}·²ÑÑƵ £¸¾¾ÍƩ¾Ü×¾¾ÍƵ ²£è£¸ƔƵ סƵ }Í¡£××ÜÍƵ £ÑѾ²èÑƵ £¸×¾ £×ÑƵ ÑÜÍ;ܸ£¸ÑƔƵ }²²¾é£¸Ƶ ²£¡×ƔƵ é}×ÍƔƵ }¸Ƶ Ñ°ïƵ ×¾Ƶ Ñ¡}Ê èÍï}ïƵ²£ƙ 6123 E IRONWOOD DR 11, PARADISE VALLEY, AZ 85253 KATRINA BARRETT @k:OƔƵ O@2O
