Metropolitan Atlanta Young Men Are Outfitted for Prom in Style

Decatur Army Youth Athletic Association and the Enchanted Closet Partner for the First Prom Tuxedo Giveaway

Nineteen young men and their families can relax a little as they make plans for prom thanks to Decatur Army Youth Athletic Association, Enchanted Closet, and JoS A. Bank-Buckhead. The young men each registered and submitted an essay expressing why they should be selected to receive a free tuxedo for prom in the first Decatur Army Youth Athletic Association-Enchanted Closet Prom Tuxedo Giveaway.

For many years, the Enchanted Closet was asked, “What are you doing for the young men?, and the organization would remind people that it was established to physically, mentally, and emotionally outfit girls, but vowed that if some men would ever take on the effort to outfit young men for prom, the organization would support them,” said Bonita C. Johnson, President & CEO.  Bonita, personally, began outfitting young men a few years ago when a young man who was previously homeless and was living on his own through support from CHRIS Kids reached out to her and explained his situation. In 2013, several donors contributed so that we could outfit young men that submitted essays through a contest with V-103. 

This year, the wonderful men of Decatur Army Youth Athletic Association committed to providing tuxedos for metropolitan Atlanta young men going to prom and the organization was happy to partner with them to help make it happen. On Tuesday night, April 1, the young men and their families gathered at JoS A. Bank-Buckhead in anticipation of getting fitted for their tuxedos and most importantly making sure that their ensembles will match their date’s dresses. “Some guys seemed quite positive of the colors and others had to make phone calls and get pictures texted to them just to make sure. It was really fun to watch,” said Condus Shuman, Enchanted Closet Youth Empowerment Board member.  

Bert Miller, President and Ceasar Gaiters, Executive Board member of the Decatur Army Youth Athletic Association said, “It felt good to be able to help young men fulfill the rite of passage for high school-going to prom. For many, prom is a once in a lifetime affair, and to see the excitement on the faces of the young men was priceless.”

JoS. A. Bank Clothiers' Sayed Y. Sharifi, who can relate to families having economic challenges, said, “I am happy to support this effort. The organizations do great work in the community.” When Sayed came to Atlanta, he took a $5.50-an-hour job as a shipping clerk in the Buckhead store and was thrilled to get it in order to feed his family. He has now been at the Buckhead location for more than twenty years and has been the top salesperson in the country more than ten years in a row.

The 2014 prom season marks the 12th for Enchanted Closet. The organization started in 2002 as a project to provide prom dresses to teenage girls whose families were financially challenged and was incorporated as a full service nonprofit profit organization in 2003. Eleven years years later, the Enchanted Closet has outfitted over 5000 girls and has provided a solution for many metropolitan Atlanta families for whom prom season can become a dreaded time as they try to decide between spending a lot of money on a beautiful dress or on household and other school expenses. Since many teenagers today are being raised by single parents, grandparents and others on a fixed income, prom season can be a stressful time. The Enchanted Closet aims to alleviate that stress.

About Decatur Army Youth Athletics

Decatur Army Youth Org, is a non-profit organization geared towards helping the youth through sports, community events and education. It was founded in December 2010, by Mr. Bert Miller with the goal of providing a platform for boys and girls through competitive sports competition which express an honor code that requires the youth football players, and cheerleaders to maintain academic standards in order to participate. Decatur Army's commitment to academics is what separates the program from other youth sports around the state of Georgia. The Decatur Army programs seek to develop well-rounded young boys and girls who learn not only the fundamentals of football and cheerleading, but also the importance of education in an atmosphere conducive to developing sound character while having a good time. 

About Jos A. Bank Clothiers, Inc.

Jos. A. Bank is not just another menswear retailer. It is a manufacturer and retailer of men's classically-styled tailored and casual clothing. JoS. A. Bank aims to be become known and trusted as “The Expert in Men’s Apparel” and a leading menswear brand by designing and contract-manufacturing classically styled career and casual apparel sold in a nationwide chain of service-oriented retail stores, in a direct response catalog business and on an interactive internet site, with an emphasis on value, service, convenience, and appropriate business wear solutions.

What makes the company unique is also what has attracted customers to the stores for 106 years; a heritage of quality and workmanship, an extensive selection of beautifully made, classically styled tailored and casual clothing, and prices typically 20 to 30 percent below our competitors'.