New Orleans (May 2, 2003) - The bleachers in the University of New Orleans Human Performance Center were packed with young ladies and their mother, grandmothers, aunts, and etc., carefully looking at their numbered index card, waiting for their chance to go and pick out their dress.

After their number was called, it was time to go upstairs to where the dresses and fitting rooms were. Racks and racks of dresses were scattered in the upstairs area, overflowing with dress after dress, each as unique as the girls who viewed them. Ladies held up dresses, looking for their friends' opinion on how it might look on them.

Some held them over the railing upstairs so their friends in the crowd downstairs could give their seal of approval. If the dress passed all those tests, then it was to the fitting room.

Young ladies cycled in and out of the fitting room, showing off their gowns to their family and friends showering compliments down on them. The young ladies also had a chance to win some prizes from Mary Kay ranging from makeovers to makeup bags to a special prom night treatment where a Mary Kay representative would go to a young lady's house, help them get dressed and do their makeup for their prom.

The numbered index cards held the fate of many young women who wanted to find "their dress". Sunday, April 27 and Thursday, May 1 were two days that over 1,200 young women will not soon forget and they had the New Orleans Hornets Organization and the Hornets' Wives to thank. The New Orleans Hornets Wives' spearheaded a Prom Dress Drive in an effort to supply area high school girls with a free dress for their prom.

The dress drive resulted in nearly 1,000 dress donations, which turned out to be just enough as the crowds gathered on the two days of the drive to get their dress and the turnout from the two days of the drive resulted in every single dress being taken for a young lady to help her celebrate her prom in style.