Video by Rick Racela

The Lower Cape May Regional Class of 2009 struck a pose at the Prom Fashion Show fundraiser in the Paul W. Schmidtchen Auditorium on March 12. The show raised money for the prom, but also gave stu-dents and their parents a sneak peak at what’s hot in prom wear this season.

English teacher and fashion show coordinator, Karen Murnaghan, said that the students were ex-cited to be a part of the event, which showcased dresses, tuxes and floral designs donated by bridal salons, formal wear shops and florists in neighboring towns.

Participating vendors included: Cape Winds Florist, The Fairy Godmother Project and Heart to Heart florists, Formal Dimensions, Katz Meow, Knight and Day Apparel, Rissy Roo’s, Tuxedo Junction and Tesi’s Bridal Boutique. Tesi Miteva of Tesi’s Bridal, in Ventnor, was one of many backstage volunteers, who helped prepare the young models for their walk down the runway, and she admitted the event was a bit more challenging than getting one bride ready for a walk down the aisle.

“It’s like having 14 brides,” one backstage volunteer said, and dozens of gowns.

But as the young women emerged from the dressing room for the first time in a rainbow of satin and sequins to be escorted to the stage, their tuxedo-clad escorts nodded in approval, and so did the audience. The event was attended by a paparazzi of photographers made of LCMR students, parents and faculty.

The audience took a break halfway through the show to support the students' effort by purchasing raffle tickets to win gift baskets donated by local businesses. The models promise to appear again in public at their prom on May 3, but until then you can check them out on video at capemayccountyherald.com.