Free Prom Dress Giveaway for 3.5 GPA Students

Around prom time, Milpitas High students with financial hardship can apply for a free dress through the nonprofit Princess Project, but for those with good grades or limited funds, there's something else.

Gabrielle Medrano, owner of in downtown Campbell, will offer cocktail and formal gowns that would retail from $200-$400 to high school girls at $29.99 on April 1. And if they have a 3.5 grade-point average or higher, the dress of their choice is free.

"I saw this mentioned somewhere recently, maybe the Patch or Campbell Reporter, and thought that was a great offer," says Janine Payton via email. "I wonder how many dresses she has, and if she is prepared for the crowd she may get."

Medrano says that she has more than 100 dresses for her high-school customers, from designers such as Melissa Sweet Collection, Dessy Collection, After 6 and Alfred Sung.

"I’ve had high school girls calling already about it, but no one gets to see them until the day of," she says.

The sale and give away is Friday, 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.

The idea initially was to move these formal gowns, because Medrano is discontinuing the bridesmaid section of her store to focus on the bride. She thought this would be a good way to do that and help out. Anything that isn't picked up will be donated to charity.

"I have a son that is now at West West Valley Community College, but he graduated from Branham 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 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."

For Payton, spending everything on a single day or event has never been something her family has done ("I have always been on the more conservative side of spending on events for kids," she says) but she still thinks this effort will be appreciated.

"I know that at one time it was popular for girls to have their dresses custom made so that they would not end up wearing the same dress as someone else (OMG)," she says in an email. "With most dresses out there costing $100 or more, I would think that getting a dress for $30 would be wonderful. And it is a nice touch to offer free for higher GPA."