"Mom Prom" Event to Support Dream Home Charities

EAST ALTON - Local women have the chance to enjoy a “Mom Prom” while supporting a good cause.

On Saturday, June 28, 2025, community members can come out to Julia’s Banquet Center in East Alton for “A Night to Remember” prom. This ladies-only, 21-and-up event encourages attendees to enjoy the prom while raising money for Dream Home Charities.

“It’s like we're high school girls again, going to go to the prom,” said Sherry Gilleland, founder of Dream Home Charities. “We’re really hoping that this is very successful and people are very generous with their donations and we can just all have ‘A Night to Remember.’”

Tickets to the Mom Prom cost $50, and attendees are encouraged to sell raffle tickets for the chance to be crowned Prom Queen. Tickets include dinner, dancing, karaoke, and more fun. There will also be carriage rides and photo ops available throughout the night.

Gilleland said they are “in desperate need” of sponsors to provide basket raffle prizes and more so the prom can be successful. She encourages businesses to reach out and get involved.

All proceeds from the event will go to Dream Home Charities. This organization works with the Department of Children and Family Services to provide toys and clothing for kids in the foster care system during the holiday season.

Gilleland hopes they raise enough money to have “leftover funds” so they can also help people pay for medicine and groceries or provide gas cards for parents who have a child admitted at Children’s Hospital. She noted that the organization has faced challenges since the COVID-19 pandemic, and they have big dreams for how they can help the Riverbend region with enough support.

“We’re hoping to be able to build some funds back up, because once COVID hit, it really depleted all of our money,” Gilleland said. “Dream Home Charities was founded in 2009, and by doing this Mom Prom, it has reached so many different people. We have found that, even with a charity existing for this long, there are people who have never heard of us. They're excited to learn what we do and how we help. Everything we raise goes right back to our community to help those in need.”

Planning for the Mom Prom has been a lot of fun, and Gilleland noted that she has connected with many people who are truly excited for the event. Some of the women shared that they weren’t able to attend their high school prom because of the COVID-19 pandemic; another said she couldn’t afford prom in high school, so she plans to enjoy the experience as an adult.

Many women are also interested in being named Prom Queen. The top five attendees who sell the most raffle tickets before the event will be on Prom Court. To learn more about how to sell raffle tickets, contact Gilleland at 618-779-0990.

The woman who sells the most tickets will be crowned Prom Queen and receive a Caribbean vacation package or $600 cash. The runner-up will receive $300, and the third-place winner will receive $150.

With only 500 seats available and over 1,700 people interested on the official Facebook event page, Gilleland hopes tickets sell fast and many businesses step forward to sponsor the event. She emphasized that the Mom Prom will be a fun way to give back to the community.

“We want to make sure everybody has their ticket to the prom,” Gilleland added. “We have so much interest, so much excitement. It’s going to be ‘A Night to Remember,’ and we’re hoping this is the first of many.”

For more information about the Mom Prom, including how to secure your tickets, call Gilleland at 618-779-0990. To learn more about Dream Home Charities and how to support them, visit their official website at DreamHomeCharities.com.

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