Teens throughout the state will be able to attend their high school prom this spring without having to spend a single penny on purchasing needed attire thanks to the efforts of Arizona Rotarians.

For two weekends in March, The Prom Closet – a project spearheaded by the Peoria North Rotary Club -- will provide formal prom attire to boys and girls at absolutely no charge.

This year’s Prom Closet takes place 9 a.m.-2 p.m. March 14-15 and 21-22 at the GESD System of Care Campus, 7677 W. Bethany Home Road, Glendale.

All high school teens are invited. There are no financial requirements and no application to be completed. All items are available at absolutely no cost.

The Prom Closet has thousands of formal prom dresses to choose from, as well as shoes and accessories. In addition to women’s clothing and accessories, items available to men include suit coats, shirts, slacks, shoes and ties.

The club has been presenting the Prom Closet for 15 years. The event is supported by volunteer Rotarians from throughout Arizona. 

“It’s really grown into a community-wide project,” said Sharon Jarnagin, a member of Peoria North Rotary Club and chair of this year’s project.

“Not only do we have Rotarians from throughout the Valley, but we have many other residents who have joined on as volunteers – many of whom felt the impact of the program when their sons or daughters visited The Prom Closet in the past.” 

There are no reservations needed, however, there may be a short wait depending on the amount of people in attendance. Rotary volunteers accompany students individually through The Prom Closet to assist them with their selections.

Formal attire is only available to students. 

The event has steadily grown over the years as word continues to spread. Last year, over 600 students from 70 Arizona high schools were served.

“We had several students come from as far away as Winslow,” said Ms. Jarnagin.

Volunteers, too, are needed and welcome. Gina Schmitz, co-chair of the event, said volunteers are needed not only to help students select their formal attire, but to help with registration, set-up, steaming clothes and more.

“We have short, four-hour shifts and we’ll find a role for anyone who wants to help,” said Ms. Schmitz. 

Rotary is an international service club with members throughout the world. Eliminating polio is a major focus of the organization, but other areas of focus include improving literacy, providing sustainable fresh water and helping those in need.

“Rotary’s motto is ‘People of Action,’ and we think The Prom Closet lives up to that credo about as well as anything we can do,” said Darlene Eger, president of the Peoria North Rotary Club.

All items – from the dresses to sport coats to shoes – have been donated to the club over the years. 

Donations are currently accepted at several locations throughout the Valley. For more information and a complete list of drop-off sites, visit www.thepromcloset.com.

District Governor Jim Schmidt made his official visit to the Peoria North Rotary Club on Nov.5, 2025. Jim commended the club for its service to the community and its contributions to The Rotary Foundation, especially its strong support for End Polio Now.

During the meeting, the governor presented 10 first-time Paul Harris Fellows to the club's newest members. According to DG Jim, it was the most Paul Harris Fellows he has presented at one time this year!

The club thanked the governor for his visit and his commitment to promoting Rotary in Arizona by making a donation for $500 in his name to End Polio Now.

The Peoria North Rotary Club is now accepting applications for the club's 2026 educational scholarships to be granted to a graduating Peoria Unified School District high school student.

The George and Willi Wheeler Scholarship is available to all students who currently attend a PUSD high school or Mountain Ridge High School.

 The object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise. The scholarship will recognize high school students who demonstrate strong leadership skills that include opportunities to serve humanity.

The $3,000 Rotary scholarship may be used for any school-related payments such as tuition, books, software and/or equipment at any accredited college, university, vocational school, or certificate program.

The scholarship is named after two long-time club members: George and Willi Wheeler. George was a founding member of the Peoria North Rotary Club and a former Arizona Rotary District Governor. He passed away in 2022.

The Wheelers were strong supporters of education and instrumental in organizing a variety of club projects aimed at promoting literacy. The club recognizes Students of the Month at several Peoria high schools and has sponsored several book drives to benefit Peoria schools.

For over 10 years, a signature project of the club was to purchase and distribute dictionaries to third-grade students in the Peoria Unified School District.

“All during their dedicated careers in Rotary, the Wheelers traveled to many countries to distribute schoolbooks, administer the polio vaccine, provide computers to schools and bringing goodwill to underprivileged children,” said Darlene Eger, president of the Peoria North Rotary Club.

“Their dedication to helping children is the reason the George and Willi Scholarship was founded. It is Rotary’s desire to help as many students as possible to achieve an education and eventually hoping to eliminate poverty throughout the world.”

The deadline to apply for the 2026 scholarship is Dec. 31, 2025. Click here to download the application. 

For additional information, email the club at desertdar06@gmail.com.