Taken From The State© Newspaper, Author: Bertram Rantin, News Columnist

GROUP MAKING PROMS SPECIAL

Amy Hill knows that special feeling of feeling wonderful as she heads out to the ball. The Columbia attorney remembers a time when she and both her two sisters were getting ready for prom night and each with the perfect dress. Nowadays, Hill is looking for a few fairy godmothers and godfathers alike to give more Columbia-area teenagers that same experience. And the prospects for a happy ending are looking good. For the fourth year, The South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers Division is sponsoring its annual Cinderella Project. The program provides gently worn formal, bridesmaid and prom dresses for young women who may not have the financial resources to buy gowns for their high school proms. "It's getting really busy," Hill, an attorney with the firm Sowell Gray Stepp and Laffitte, said of the early contributions. "We're getting lots of donations." Hill is organizing this year's project along with attorney Ariail King with the firm of Lewis Babcock and Hawkins. "This project is really intended to help those girls who wouldn't otherwise be able to go to the prom, but we recognize that could be a significant portion of the population," Hill said. On Saturday, eager high school students will get their wishes when the Young Lawyers hold a boutique from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the University of South Carolina School of Law at Green and South Main Street. The girls will be able to shop for dresses, and students from all Columbia area schools are invited to attend. "I know how it is wanting to have that special dress for each prom," said SeRina Brown of Upsilon Omega Omega's local graduate chapter, which is working with the Young Lawyers Division on the project. "So I understand how each girl is feeling. We all can. We all remember our proms very well." To ensure many a magical night, organizers still are seeking clean dresses in all sizes, as well as evening bags and unopened makeup. Drop off items through Friday at Sowell Gray Stepp & Laffitte on Gadsden Street and M Boutique on Devine Street.

For more information, contact Bobby Stepp at 803.929.1400 or rstepp@sowell.com.

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