For the past five years, Stephanie Young, a licensed social worker and active parent in the Tamalpais High School community, has helped to run Tam’s Pop Up Prom Drive. This event aims to create community at Tam by providing formal wear for everybody and anybody who wants to attend prom. 

In 2018, Young started the event informally with a few students who needed extra support obtaining formal wear, and eventually it grew into an actual store. She had the idea to start the store because she thought it would be a great way to bring everyone in the community together. 

This year, Young is running the event with Tam junior Sophia Weinberg. Their goal is to get as many students to donate prom attire as possible and get students involved in the community, that way there can be enough items for everyone to get what they need. 

“It’s an event where everybody feels included, because it’s not about affordability, it’s about sustainability. It’s a green event,” Young said. 

This makes it a green event because it promotes sustainability and allows students to rewear items so they don’t have to buy new ones.

“We try to consider all items and think if someone would want to wear it. We try to take everything because you never know what someone will want,” Weinberg said. 

This year the drive is taking place from Feb. 4 until the end of March, and students can go get their formal wear on March 30 and 31, when the store opens. Students can drop off their donations at the Mill Valley Community Center or the Tam High office. Additionally, the student-run business, KK Swaps, will also be accepting donations at their next sale on March 11 and 12, at 224 Laverne Ave.

Students of all grades and genders can go to the Pop-Up Prom Drive, and everything is free. Last year, there were about 200 dresses, 50 suits and a couple 100 pairs of shoes. Around 200 students were fitted, and everything that was not taken was shared with San Rafael High. Additionally, on the second day of the sale, all schools, public and private, were able to come and shop for prom attire, which will be a continued practice this year.

“I would love for students to donate any formal wear that they have because this ultimately is for them. I would like him to know that there will be a place set up on March 30 and 31 in the Ruby gym, where everyone will be welcome to participate by donating and taking formal wear so they can be prom ready,” Young said. 

Transparency: Sophia Weinberg is a section editor and reporter for The Tam News. To remain impartial, she was not given access to edit or pre-read this article.