Good Grades Could Mean a Free Prom Dress

Prom is an event that people remember for the rest of their lives, for better or worse.

One Campbell business woman is hoping to help make it a positive memory for all involved.

Gabrielle Medrano, owner of in downtown Campbell is offering up cocktail and formal gowns that would retail between $200 and $400 to high school girls at $29.99 on April 1. And if they have a 3.5 GPA or higher, the dress of their choice is free.

"We have more than 100 dresses to choose from," Medrano says. "I’ve had high school girls calling already about it but no one gets to see them until the day of."

The sale/give away is going on this Friday, April 1 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Medrano sent a notice out to Campbell Union High School District, Milpitas Unified School District, Santa Clara Unified School District, Fremont Union High School District, Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union School District and Morgan Hill Unified School District.

Fremont Union High School District was unaware of the release, but said it is district policy to not distribute advertising because they would be inundated with material.

The idea initially was to move these formal gowns because Medrano is discontinuing the bridesmaid section of her store to focus on the bride, but she thought this would be a good way to do that and help out.

"I have a son that is now at West West Valley Community College but he graduated from Branhamn High School last year," she says. "His date had trouble with the cost of the dress so we bought her her prom dress."

 The whole experience was something that she was very familiar with.

"I was a single mom," Medrano says. "I was pregnant my senior year of high school so I didn’t go to my prom. My generation, you saw more of that. Many of us didn’t go to prom because we couldn’t afford it.

"Now, the economy is so tough, she says. "There are many parents struggling right now and this is a little something that we can help with."

So what does going to the prom actually cost these days? At Cupertino High School, for example, prom tickets started at $45 with a student body card (and $50 without a card) but have already increased to $55 apiece with the card ($60 without the card) and will go up another $5 next week. That’s just to get in the door. Add to that the cost of a dress or tux, dinner and sometimes a ride and that number can be staggering for a single night's activities.