WATERLOO - Too often it is a prom dress' fate: To be worn once, then quietly gather dust in a dark closet.

Those doomed gowns have a chance to again sparkle and shine through Northeast Iowa Food Bank's Prom's Closet drive.

The donated gowns are already hanging in back rooms across the Cedar Valley. The 17 at Milroy's Tuxedos at Crossroads Mall showcase an amazing variety: A formal ball gown straight out of Cinderella sits next to a sleek, black modern number.

"Most of them are in really, really good condition," said Heather Nie, manager at Milroy's Tuxedo. "There are some that are really kind of fancy."

The prom dress drive will give high school students who would otherwise not be able to afford one an opportunity to wear a beautiful gown to one of high school's signature events.

All proceeds will benefit the Northeast Iowa Food Bank. Dresses will be collected through April 1 at the Wesley Foundation at University of Northern Iowa, Heartland Vineyard Church; and the Student Service Desk at Wartburg College.

On April 4, Crossroads Mall will sell the formal gowns, accessories and shoes to the public for $10 or less.

Amanda Roth, the drive's coordinator at the food bank, said several girls impacted by last year's flooding and some foster children already have expressed interest in a dress. This is the first year for the program, which already exists in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines.

"We knew with the flood and tornado and economic times, people in our area would also benefit from something like this," Roth said.

Elevate, a foster care organization, is donating dresses and asking its girls if they are interested in perusing the selection. Several already are excited about the prospect of dressing up with their girlfriends for prom, said Diane Neebel, Elevate's facilitator.

Neebel said her organization is excited about the partnership because its mission is to empower kids to take control of their own lives, and opportunities like this help boost children's self-esteem.

"They don't have to worry about not having a dress that's nice like everyone else's," she said.

Heather Glass, a third-year social work student at Wartburg College, said the program is generating a lot of interest on campus because it's a good cause and so easy to participate in.

"They wear them so seldomly, (the dresses) would otherwise just sit in closets," she said.

Contact Jens Manuel Krogstad at (319) 291-1580 or jens.krogstad@wcfcourier.com.