LESLEY WEST'S ANNUAL PROM DRESS GIVEAWAY WAS A GREAT SUCCESS
This last Saturday was Lesley West's (wife of David West) annual prom dress giveaway. Because of her giveaway, 750 local high school students were able to get a beautiful, prom dress that they wouldn't have been able to get otherwise. It's an awesome cause that was started by Lesley West after Hurricane Katrina, years back when David West was a member of the New Orleans Hornets. This marks the third annual year that she has held this event in Indianapolis and it doesn't appear to be slowing down at all.
The event has really grown since she started it. She has been able to get all of the following high schools to participate: Arsenal Tech, Ben Davis, Broad Ripple, Crispus Attucks, George Washington, John Marshall, Northwest, Pike, Southport, and Shortridge. In order to get awareness and attention to this event, Lesley West makes an annual visit to each of these high schools. Lesley West has gotten various volunteers for the event from those high schools as well.
Greg Rappaport of Pacers.com got the chance to ask Lesley West about the event, here is what she said: "My senior year, I went to six different proms," recalled Lesley West of her own prom experience. I enjoy getting dressed in the pretty dresses. I enjoy getting beautiful in the pretty shoes. 12 years later, here we are."
It was really interesting to find that Lesley West got her first return volunteer for the event. Now a Ball State criminal justice major, Brielle McFarland decided to volunteer for the event. During her junior year and senior year of high school, Brielle McFarland was able to get a prom dress because of this event. Now she is giving back to Lesley West and the cause, she volunteered this year to show how thankful she was to have been a beneficiary of the event during high school.
Greg Rappaport talked to Brielle McFarland about the event, this is what she said: "I like it because (it benefits) people who don't have the money or the funds, or who just need extra help," McFarland said. "All these dresses have different varieties and different colors, I liked getting my dresses here and I just appreciate it."
Lesley West also got the chance to tell Greg Rappaport how thankful she is that Brielle McFarland returned to help the cause: "It really made my day. I told everyone I could find that I have my first return volunteer! That's kind of the point of all of it. When I go out to the schools I talk to the girls about paying it forward. So the fact that I've reached one person makes me feel like this is all worthwhile."
Nick Sato, the Pacers' administrative assistant, even volunteered for this event. It's great to see that members of the community and the Pacers' organization are helping Lesley West with her cause. It's one thing to show up for the event, but to dedicate an entire day helping others is wonderful. Volunteers helped from 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on their Saturday off. Not a lot of people generally would sacrifice that amount of time on their day off, that's what makes the volunteers so special.
Nick Sato shared his thoughts with Greg Rappaport about the event: "This event, I feel like, has a more personal feel with the community, and Lesley has been great. You never realize how expensive some of these dresses are and so it's really awesome to provide an opportunity to girls to have a great experience that's not as costly as it might have been."
I really like what Lesley West has done over the years for the Indianapolis community. Giving teenage girls prom dresses is just one of the big contributions that the West family has made for the community. It's nice to see player's give back to the communities that they play in, David and Lesley West have done exactly that in both New Orleans and Indianapolis. The West's don't only help the Pacers on the court, they help the people of Indianapolis off of it as well.
