Westport high schoolers collecting prom gowns and tuxes

It may be a rite of passage, but junior and senior prom can get expensive. A group of Westport High School students hope to ease the financial burden a bit, and are collecting used gowns and tuxes for those students who can't afford them.

The group's STEEL team (Students That Exemplify Extraordinary Leadership) has been collecting used prom attire since the beginning of the month, and will offer them free to needy students after the fund-raiser ends on Friday, March 24.

Recently "we were talking about fund-raisers we could do," STEEL member Avery Carvalho said. "Prom has been the big topic of conversation the past couple of weeks, and we thought it would be a good idea to have a pop-up shop."

The fund-raiser works like this: Residents who have attire to donate can bring it to the school at any time over the course of the fund-raiser. In early April, STEEL students will hold a 'pop-up' shop in the school cafeteria, where students who need outfits can take them free of charge. They'll be asked for a donation, but it's not required.

Avery said STEEL members still aren't sure where the funds will go, but it will likely benefit a good community cause.

So far, the effort has yielded about 10 tuxes and gowns, but students hope that by the time it ends they'll have brought in 50 or 60.