Student hopes to rebuild smoke damaged Becca’s Closet Maui in time for prom season

The wildfires on Maui have taken a toll on many aspects of life.

At King Kekaulike High School, the Kula campus sustained wind damage, including dislodged roof shingles and downed light poles. It took professional remediation to clean up the facilities and classrooms before students returned on Aug. 23.

Graduating senior, Madison Strand had already selected her senior project for the year—to refresh and revamp the school’s Becca’s Closet, a national nonprofit that collects new and gently worn formal dresses, and donates them to girls with financial need, who would be unable to attend prom without the assistance.

Her plan to inventory each dress and post the photos online so that girls could see what was available was upended when all of the chapter’s 300 dresses were destroyed by smoke damage from the fire. 

The chapter is the only one in Hawai’i, and has been providing the service for nearly 20 years.

Although Madison could have chosen to shift gears and select a different project, she along with the chapter’s faculty advisor, Kaylee DeCambra knew that the need for free dresses will be greater than ever this year. They expressed determination to rebuild the school’s Becca’s Closet chapter in time for prom and formal season and ensure that it continues for years to come. 

The Becca’s Closet home chapter in South Florida has purchased new rolling racks and garment bags, and a shipment of brand new dresses donated by Colette by Daphne and Ellie Wilde are on their way to help replenish the chapter’s supply. The hope is that other companies and retailers will also join the effort. 

For more information on how to help, contact Kaylee DeCambra at 808-727-3514 or via email at kdecambra@kkhs.k12.hi.us. For information about Becca’s Closet, visit www.beccascloset.org.