Prom dress giveaway in McKinley Park at risk after burglary at The R.O.C.K. Exchange Resale Boutique

CHICAGO (WLS) — A prom dress giveaway went on as planned this weekend thanks to some generous donors who stepped up to help a business in need.

A burglary last weekend put the dress giveaway in jeopardy, but after ABC7’s story aired, the owner said the donations and support began flooding in.

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On Sunday, there were plenty of smiles at The R.O.C.K. Exchange Resale Boutique on the Southwest Side.

High school girls on the hunt for their prom dresses had success.

One young lady came all the way from Gary, Indiana to the boutique.

The store, located at 35th and Archer, recently held a giveaway for prom dresses. However, the event faced uncertainty when the store was robbed.

READ MORE | Burglar caught on camera breaking into McKinley Park boutique; at least 4 other businesses hit: CPD

Video footage from the surveillance system showed a man breaking a window to gain entry into the store. He was later seen leaving through the front door carrying what seemed to be goods from the store.

The burglary brought the owner, Delilah Abu, to tears. But Sunday, Abu was all smiles.

Abu expressed gratitude towards all the donors, saying, “I want to express my thanks to everyone who contributed. It was the close-knit community, friends, and family who rallied around us. Thanks to their support, we managed to repair the broken glass, and we are incredibly grateful for that.”

Abu said her mission to serve the community was almost derailed by the break-in, but her faith and resources from Clarybelle Camacho with A Beautiful Project helped keep it on track.

“Every year we try to figure out who to give back to our community, because it’s needed,” Camacho said.

The event was very appreciated by the young ladies who otherwise would not be able to afford a prom dress.