Temple Sinai in Middletown hosted their annual Prom Dress Extravaganza on March 19 and March 26. Prom has become increasingly expensive, paying for tickets, dresses, and suits can add up for students and their families. Josephine and Ned Bloomfield started hosting the Prom Dress Extravaganza nine years ago. It first began with dresses and suits, but now offers shoes, jewelry, and other accessories. The event is open to any student in the Hudson Valley and Catskills.

“I love people, I love all people and I always want to help the community. When I saw how expensive prom is for kids now, I wanted to help,” said Ned Bloomfield. “My wife is great at hosting these kinds of events, so I was able to give her my idea and she made it a reality.”

Josephine is known by those at Temple Sinai and the local community for hosting social and charitable events, but this specific event attracts a lot of volunteers.

“I always volunteer at Josephine’s events. She is absolutely amazing. It’s also just wonderful to be at these things. All the girls leave here with beautiful dresses and smiles on their faces and everyone deserves that,” said Leslie Roosa.

Stephanie Bloomfield, Ned and Josephine’s daughter-in-law, has been an active volunteer at each event, “I love helping girls pick dresses, I’m always going around looking for specific colors or styles to find what I think people would like.”

Over the years various local organizations, such as the Elks Lodge 1097, the Minisink Valley Rotary club, the Middletown Lions Club, the Town of Wallkill Police Youth Coalition and local news broadcasts have gotten involved with the event by helping to advertise, collect donations and set up and run the event. They each expressed how beneficial it is for different organizations to work together for their community’s families.

“This is a great event to get my kids [Youth Coalition members] volunteering and involved. It’s also just a fun and rewarding thing to be a part of,” said Rosie Otero-Walsh, Advisor of the Town of Wallkill Police Youth Coalition.

“It’s really fantastic to give back to the community and team up with another organization. We’re practically neighbors so it only makes sense for us to work together. We were able to host a brunch and collect dress donations and help advertise the event,” said Erin Bristol of the Elks Lodge 1097.

Jesus Perez Jr., also known as DJ Echo, provides free music services for the Prom Dress Extravaganza and other local events, “I live in Middletown so it’s really important to me to give back to my community. I wish I had something like this when I was in high school. The money these kids would have spent on dresses and suits can now go towards something else for them and their families, and they still get to go to prom and feel good.”

Hundreds of students and families come to the Prom Dress Extravaganza each year, and community members have been widely supportive. Local families greatly appreciate being able to cut costs, with many people able to find their entire outfit there. This year there were close to a thousand dresses from which to choose.

Martha Lopez, another volunteer at the event, hosts her own annual prom dress drive called “Bella Notte”. She will hold this year’s “Bella Notte” March 25 in Woodbury.

“Helping kids out like this is just so fun and rewarding, even with my own event I still make sure to come out here to Middletown and other areas,” Lopez said. “I just think everyone should get to go to prom and look great.”