Math teacher Joyce Richardson believes it’s absurd to spend more than $1,000 on a prom dress that you wear once. In response, Richardson expanded the Say Yes to the Dress sale, which is a program that includes special occasion dresses and gives girls the prom dress experience without paying the high price.

“Saving over $1,000 on a dress you wear once,” Richardson said.

There were six mannequins outside the media center cafe, each dressed in a different style of prom dress: tight fitted, poofy, sparkly, vintage and beaded. There were prom, homecoming and quinceanera dresses. There were jumpers, one piece and they even offered vests and bows for the guys.

The people in the community donated the dresses to the school, knowing that staff members run this program. Richardson also buys dresses from local prom dress stores, such as Gipper Prom in Crystal Lake, when they sell $25 dresses.

“I got a steal of 11 dresses for only the price of $200,” Richardson said, adding that waiting for sales like these save girls over $1,000.

Richardson has run this program for a number of years, continuing it since it began in 2009 and expanding it from where it first started. Richardson says this program started in the preschool room, then moved to the principal’s conference room, and has expanded to a place as big as the media center cafe.

Richardson’s motivation to keep doing it is seeing the priceless reaction of the girls who try the dresses on. It gives Richardson the satisfaction she needs to keep on running this program.

“Some girls even FaceTime their moms to show them the dresses,” Richardson said. This is her No. 1 reason to keep this program going and expanding. “It’s good for people if you can’t financially afford one, $10 is a great deal.”

Richardson chose the price of $10 because she doesn’t want girls feeling badly if they can’t afford an expensive dress. And she doesn’t want girls leaving empty handed or not being able to attend prom because they can’t afford a dress.