Tecumseh High School teacher's prom drive nets 150 dresses

Apr. 19—A Tecumseh High School English teacher spent the last month collecting dresses for girls who needed them for prom.

Mackenzie Krapfel, who started collecting dresses before spring break in mid-March, received more than 150 dresses in homecoming and prom styles from sizes 0 to 21, as well as shoes.

"I truly remember loving going to prom because it was a night where I could get all dressed up, feel beautiful, and have fun with my friends, and I wanted our students at Tecumseh High School to be able to experience that even if they are not able to go out and purchase a dress," she said. "It would break my heart knowing that our students missed out on prom because of the dress, so I wanted to do all that I could to make one available for them."

In class one day before the bell, Krapfel said students were talking about how excited they were to go to prom, and it made her think back to her high school prom.

"I then got to thinking about dresses and how they are just sitting in my closet at my parents' house and that I wished I could do something useful with them. From that idea, came the prom dress drive," she said, deciding she could not only bring in her dresses for students who need them, but could also collect them from others who are also not being used.

Krapfel made flyers to put around school, on social media and send home to parents, and was "completely overwhelmed" by the amount of responses she got from people wanting to donate dresses, including parents, students, people in her hometown and a large donation from Restoration Park Church.

"I spent my entire spring break going around and meeting people to collect prom dresses," she said. "Without all of the people who donated, this would not have been possible, and I am so grateful for their willingness to spread love and give our students in need the ability to go to prom."

For students to pick out a dress, Krapfel set up a "shop" in her classroom with three garment racks full of dresses organized by size. Students could come in during lunch, sign in and try on dresses in an extra room across the hall.

"It has been so heartwarming to see the students giving compliments to each other when they come back in the room with their dress on to show me and look in the mirror. Seeing them light up in the dress they chose has filled me with so much joy and the reason I wanted to make this event possible for our students," she said.

Krapfel would love for this to be an annual event and to continue to grow it to impact more students in need and potentially others in the area.

Tecumseh High School's prom will be held on Saturday night.