By LAURA HAMMACK, guest columnist

I’m not ashamed to admit that one of my favorite television shows is TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress.” This show follows the experience of brides as they try on a variety of wedding dresses. At the moment when the bride finds “the” dress, one of the salon employees invariably asks, “Are you saying YES to the dress?” Typically, the answer is “yes” and everyone celebrates. The viewer is left with a satisfying sense of hopefulness for what comes next.

I am writing this column reflecting on an experience where I just finished serving with a team of volunteers for an event that “married” my love of this silly television show with hundreds of “Say Yes to the Dress” moments in the gymnasium of Brown County High School. The Brown County Glass Slipper Event, led by the incredible Allison Watters and her team of countless volunteers, offered hundreds of hopeful moments for young women across the community of Brown County and beyond.

The Glass Slipper Event is not a school-sponsored event. However, it’s another beautiful example of community members from across our community stepping forward to respond to a need. At this event, thousands of beautiful prom dresses, shoes, jewelry, purses and other accessories are put on display so that each young woman who attends can be fully prepared for their prom. And, everything is free. There are no questions asked.

I had the opportunity to work the dressing room area with a team of at least 30 other volunteers. Throughout the event we were honored with experiencing the moments when hundreds of young women found “their” dress. Something very special happened. They stood a little taller, their shoulders were pulled back, and their smiles melted our hearts. I was left with an even deeper sense of hopefulness than what I feel from that silly reality television show.

There is something special about the prom. While volunteering, many of us shared stories about our own prom experiences. It was amazing because we all remembered so many details. From what we wore to where we went to who our dates were, the memories were clear. I’m confident you remember your own prom. Did you wear a blue tuxedo? A ruffled shirt? Was your hair as wide as your hoop skirt? Did you pose for a photo in front of fake flowers in the official “prom pose?” Of course you did.

One of my sincere encouragements to our young people is, “Go.” If they go with a date or with a group of friends, we always encourage our students to attend the prom. Additionally, we encourage them to do “all of the things” associated with the event, from dinner with friends before the event, to the after-prom party immediately following. The memories that are made are obviously lasting.

If a student is not sure that they want to attend prom, I always respond with, “You HAVE to go so you can look back at your pictures in 30 years and laugh!” Now, every young woman who came out of our dressing rooms looked so beautiful that I can’t even imagine laughing at their photos in 30 years. But, I’m sure they will.

Driving home from the event, I thought about my senior prom and smiled. I did some digging through old photo albums when I got home. I found this Polaroid from 1991. My hair was big, my eyeliner was blue, and my date’s last name wasn’t Hammack. And while I’m going on almost 30 years since this event (gasp!), I laughed at myself. I laughed because I’m not sure why I thought wearing a suit was a fabulous idea and I laughed, a little more wistfully, because of how different life turned out from what I would have thought in that moment.

And that’s what growing up is all about. When you are 17, you think you have it all figured out, but you don’t.

So, we encourage our students to go to prom and have fun. Thankfully, because of the gift of the Brown County Glass Slipper Event, hundreds of young women are now ready.

Thank you to Allison Watters and the team of volunteers who make this very special event happen every year. We were enthralled with the beauty of every young woman who attended and stood with great hope for what is yet to come. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Laura Hammack is superintendent of Brown County schools. She can be reached at 812-988-6601 or [email protected].