Hayden dress swap helps local moms afford Mom Prom

A $10 dress swap in Hayden helped turn Mom Prom from a pricey night out into something more reachable for Kootenai County moms, with a few higher-end gowns priced at $25 instead of their original $70 to $200 tags. A Parent’s Paradise Charities used the fundraiser to stock dresses, shoes and accessories for women heading to the third annual Mom Prom while also raising money for mothers who might otherwise be left out.

The Mom Prom Dress Swap ran from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday, April 20, at Barre Length + Strength, 9040 Hess St. in Hayden. Organizers opened the event to all women in the community and set it up as a place where guests could try on formalwear, connect with one another and leave with something they felt good wearing. Founder Doree Handford said the point reached beyond fashion. “At the end of the day, this is about making sure moms feel valued.”

That message is tied to a practical need. Every $50 raised sends one mom to Mom Prom, a formula that makes the dress swap more than a clothing exchange and turns it into direct support for mothers balancing parenting, school and financial strain. The fundraiser’s proceeds help local moms attend the May 2 event from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Coeur d’Alene Eagles in downtown Coeur d’Alene.

A large share of that support is aimed at mothers connected to North Idaho College’s Center for New Directions, which helps single parents and displaced homemakers with community resources and with exploring career and educational paths. The center, located in Lee Kildow Hall room 132C on the Coeur d’Alene campus, also offers admissions assistance, workshops, resource referrals and other individual support. NIC has said that kind of help can make it possible for students to stay in school while raising families and building a future.

Handford has said moms are her heart, and she has framed Mom Prom as a chance for women to dress up, dance and enjoy themselves. “It’s for people who love moms,” she said. The event has already shown it can draw strong community backing: A Parent’s Paradise Charities said the first year raised $10,000, and the 2025 event brought in $17,000. The inaugural Mom Prom was held April 27, 2024, at the Kroc Center in Coeur d’Alene, and the second annual event took place April 12, 2025, at the Coeur d’Alene Eagles Ballroom.

For women weighing whether a formal night out fits the family budget, the Hayden swap offered a lower-cost entry point and a direct way to help another mom do the same.