Attending prom is an exciting rite of passage for high school students. But from dresses to tickets to flowers and transportation, it’s also an expensive one.

Thanks to a partnership of the Old Company Store, WomenAde, and Wareham High School, however, young women and men from all over the South Coast will be able to attend prom without having to worry about the cost of gowns or suits.

A prom dress drive held at the Old Company Store on Sunday, March 11, brought in nearly 700 gowns for Wareham High School's prom dress closet, as well as monetary donations to help pay for tuxedo or suit rentals for young men.

"It was a dream I had," Marcine Fernandes, who works for the school district, said of The Prom Closet at Wareham High School. "Everyone should be able to enjoy the amenities of senior prom."

Fernandes, who is also involved with nonprofit WomenAde, along with WomenAde volunteer Denise Valenti, the Old Company Store's Shari Aussant, volunteers from the Junior Onset Bay Association, and other helpers made dreams come true on Sunday.

Girls could stop by and try on the dresses -- the number of which seemed to grow by the minute -- and take one home if they fell in love... without having to pay a dime.

Aussant, who has hosted the event once before at the store, said she was thrilled with the response  -- both from the donors and the dress-shoppers.

"Some of the dresses that left here were breathtaking!" she said, donning a big smile, before noting: "The most important thing is helping these dresses find homes."

Need a dress? The Prom Closet is open by appointment for all girls and women in need of formal wear. For more information, call Marie Cavicchi at 508-291-3510, ext. 242 or e-mail mcavicchi@wareham.k12.ma.us.