From the time girls hit their teens they dream of two events in their lives, their wedding day and their senior prom. You can hardly pinpoint the exact date of your wedding when you are 13, but you can narrow down your prom pretty well. You know what year, and you know it will be sometime that spring. Having marked that date in your mind, nothing much can interfere … unless a tornado blows away half of your town and maybe your dress.

That was the case when the Hanceville High School senior girls returned to school after the horrendous storm. 

A lot of families just couldn’t afford prom, not after losing their homes, missing work, and restocking the freezer after days of power outages. Things were looking dismal; there weren’t many smiling faces when prom was mentioned.

Then came the unexpected …you might say a fairy godmother appeared out of the blue. Just two days before prom, HHS teachers and Principal Robert Burgess met to hear the offer of dresses, shoes, corsages, boutonnieres, and even hair and make-up, free for the Hanceville High School Seniors of 2011, courtesy of Operation Prom.

Operation Prom is the brainchild of Ashley Murray, Lauren Jones, and Jade Rossetti, who all recalled what special nights their own proms were and wanted others to have their special nights to remember.

Friends since high school, the three young women were sitting around talking when the power was out. “We had been out volunteering around our area, picking up limbs and such, and we started talking about doing something else to help,” said Murray. “Someone mentioned that it was prom time and we hit on an idea to help because prom is expensive and now there was this disaster on top of it.”

“We were blessed in our endeavor,” she said. “We found a building belonging to Frank Pitts, which he generously offered to loan us for one weekend – it’s been three weeks now. Hanceville was our third Operation Prom. We have been very successful in pounding the pavement for dresses, shoes, jewelry, cosmetics and flowers.”

“Right after the storm flowers shot up really high, but Cosco stepped up and donated the flowers for the corsages and boutonnieres,’ said Murray. “Casey Clark, owner of ‘Poor Little Rich Girl’, donated jewelry to the effort.”

As part of the phenomenon of Operation Prom, various make-up artists, hairstylists, nail technicians and other volunteers also stepped up to be a part of this joyful chance to give someone something that will be one of their best memories.

“I think this is the most rewarding thing I’ve ever been a part of,” said Murray. “Sometimes when the girls first come in they are a little shy, but after they see themselves all pampered and looking beautiful, they leave with big smiles of self-confidence.”

  The trio was even able to receive a little help with tuxedos for the guys. Prom Dresses for Tornado Victims, a similar organization headed by Vicky Shields, also donated dresses for the Hanceville Prom.

The girl’s gratefully accepted the offer. Some of them already had their dresses, but they went to see what this unexpectedly delightful gift was all about.  Hanceville High teachers took thirty students on a bus to the storefront at Insanity Skate Park in Huntsville on Friday to select dresses and returned with several of the girls on Saturday to receive makeovers from those affectionately dubbed the ‘Glam Squad’.

Detra Smith, owner of Hannah and Me, a Moulton salon, was one of the hairdressers on hand that day. This was her second weekend at Operation Prom. “For me,” reflected Smith, “changing lives starts behind the chair, touching one person at a time.”

Smith is also an artistic educator for Matrix. This is part her own outreach in an endeavor to utilize her talents to help others.

“Through a program called ‘Chairs for Change’, hairdressers are harnessing the power, passion and beauty in our industry and giving it to others in order to help them go forward and change the world,” said Smith. “Making a difference in the lives of students like these from Hanceville changes me.”

“I may have helped to make one night special in their lives, but they helped to renew my faith in the next generation. Their perseverance is remarkable,” said Smith.

HHS Valedictorian, Halee Pitts was one of the first to arrive. Halee already had her dress before the prom, but after the storm she had neglected to make a hair appointment, so she came for the makeover. “In this time of stress I was able to relax and enjoy myself that day,” said Halee. “It was like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.”

“I felt like Cinderella,” she said, her eyes glowing. “I had been praying, ‘God, can you show me a way that I can go?’ because I really didn’t have the money.”

“These ladies who didn’t even know us stepped in like fairy godmothers,” said Halee. “Because of them, prom was awesome!”

Everyone agreed that the prom, held at TPC (Terri Pines Country Club) was a big success. “It was simple, but elegant, and we had a wonderful time,” said Halee. “Everyone was like, ‘Who did your hair?’” she grinned.

Rhonda Nall, mother of HHS senior Tia Nall, was more than impressed with the ladies who made the prom possible for many of the girls. “There wasn’t much excitement that week,” said Nall. “Some girls had decided not to go, but Operation Prom made it possible.”

Thoughtfully, Nall summed up her feelings about what this group of caring ladies did for Tia and the other girls, ”Who, in this day and age, really realizes what kids are going through? The economy is so bad and this group came in and helped them to realize their dream.”

“They paid for gas, brought them to Huntsville to try on dresses on Friday, and back again on Saturday,” she said.”They were so accommodating and helpful in a Christian way, and that’s what Christianity is all about – helping each other.”

“I know one thing – they made a lot of girls very happy,” said Nall. “They are saying that this was the best prom in years.”

As for Tia, she was one of the most excited girls at the hair and make-up session that day. Her mom had always done her hair, so Tia had never visited a salon before. This was a big deal for her. Salon Duo employees immediately went to work on Tia, attaching hair extensions and applying make-up to her beautiful skin.

Katelyn Vanhoose had recently moved from Hanceville to Huntsville, but was finishing up her senior year when the storm hit. She says she had pretty much decided not to go to the prom. “I was waiting in the office to speak to the principal when the ladies from Operation Prom came in,” recalled Katelyn. “They asked me if I was going to the prom and I explained my situation to them.”

The ladies encouraged Katelyn to reconsider her decision about the prom, outlining their mission, and telling her how it could help her have a special night with her classmates.  Katelyn had found a dress that she liked, but when she moved the dress was returned to the store.  Murray was able to find the very dress and Katelyn said that she felt like a queen when she saw her reflection in the mirror at the end of the session.”I felt beautiful,” she said. “Prom was a blast! We danced all night long. If not for Operation Prom, I would have regretted missing my prom for the rest of my life. I was so happy that they offered to help us.”

Becky O’Neil was personally affected by the tornado when a tree fell through the roof and onto her bed. Becky's father had a stroke about a year ago and can no longer work. Becky's mom almost died a few months ago. If not for the appearance of Operation Prom, it might have been impossible for Becky to have attended the prom. As it turned out, Becky was wearing a big smile when her hair, make-up, and nails were done. Becky mentioned to her teacher, Jennifer Hogland, that she was the first person in her family to ever attend a prom. What a special time it was for this Hanceville senior!

“I think this taught the girls a lesson about giving, and about character,” said Senior Sponsor, Rachel Coan. “They were ecstatic about the whole thing. It turned out to be one of the most memorable things that has ever happened to many of them.”

That night, in the candlelit room filled with laughter and brilliant smiles, Coan looked at all the lovely girls who thought that they wouldn’t be there at all. “It made me tear up,” she said. “I think after that night they have all gotten a lot closer. They seemed more carefree than I had seen them since the storm.”

“I could feel their happiness,” she said. “Everybody was on the dance floor, they all enjoyed themselves, and they certainly deserved it.”