'It's a huge deal to go to prom': Annual fashion show raises money for Milwaukee teenagers' prom tickets

When she was in high school, Jameelah Love had a special teacher.

Love had been in foster care since she was 14 and didn't see how she would be able to afford to go to prom.

"My teacher really wanted me to go and she pulled a lot of strings to make it happen," said Love.

The teacher bought Love a dress and taught her how to make her own handbag and shawl.

"Prom was an amazing experience," said Love. "And I know a lot of other kids don't have a teacher who is that involved so I wanted to do what I could to help them."

In 2018, Love started collecting donated dresses to give to teenagers so they would be able to attend prom. And in 2019, she worked with the group Ignite Change to start a fashion show fundraiser to send other Milwaukee kids to prom.

"Jameelah is the inspiration for this whole show," said Heather Perkins, the founder and executive director of Ignite Change. "She explained to us that prom might not seem like a big deal to some families, but when there's a lot of trauma going on at home, it's huge to be able to go to prom."

Here's how the fashion show works

Although the Fash Up fashion show was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19, it was back in 2022, and organizers are ready to hold their third show on Saturday at the 7Seventy7 building at 777 N. Van Buren St.

There will be 23 teenagers modeling prom clothes at the event. Perkins said many of the models are from foster families her organization works with. She also met one of the teenagers through her work with Running Rebels, and several Messmer High School students volunteered to participate.

The clothes the models wear are from Empower Youth Foundation's Cinderella Project MKE. People donate prom dresses to Cinderella Project MKE, and each year, they put on an event where teenagers are able to choose from one of the thousands of dresses with the help of a "fairy godmother" volunteer.

Ignite Change staff works with each of the models to create a video, which is shown at the fashion show. "That's one of the special things about the event," said Perkins. "The crowd sees videos of the models, and by the time they walk down the runway, you feel like you know them."

Here's who the Fash Up fundraiser helps

Fash Up raises money through ticket sales, donations and event sponsorships. Part of the money is donated as a grant to Cinderella Project MKE. The rest of the money goes directly to buy prom tickets for Milwaukee teenagers.

"Right now, I work directly with guidance counselors at Washington High School and Pulaski High School, although we would love to expand in the future," said Perkins. "The guidance departments know where the need is, and they're able to ask kids if they would like to have their prom tickets paid for."

Perkins said most of Ignite Change's efforts are toward raising awareness of "heavier social causes" like gun violence prevention and foster parent recruitment. "Those are heavy and complicated issues that don't have simple solutions."

Being able to do something simple that has a big impact, like sending a teenager to prom, helps her to continue doing the more complicated work.

"There's a moment before the fashion show when the models look at themselves in the mirror and they get emotional," said Perkins. "It's hard to find wins in the kind of work I do, but this is always a win for everyone."

Doors open for the Fash Up 2023 fashion show Saturday at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 7 p.m. If you would like to buy tickets or donate, you can do so through the FashUp website (givebutter.com/c/FashUp2023).

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee charities raise money for teenagers who can't afford prom