Marriott UMUC Organizes Community Service Program & Clothing Drive for Prince Georges County Teens

Adelphi, Md.- June 20, 2009 - Seniors at High Point High School and Northwestern High School in Prince George's County will be bringing in the upcoming prom season in style following a free shopping spree and makeup tips from experts at Marriott's University of Maryland University College (UMUC) Inn and Conference Center's Prom Angels Closet, a community service program in Prince George's County, on Thursday, April 9, 2009, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Associates of Marriott's UMUC Inn and Conference Center teamed up with employees at the University of Maryland University College to organize a clothing drive where slightly used dresses, shoes, suites, ties and accessories were collected to create a temporary formal wear store in the Prince George's County hotel's ballroom. Students have been invited to come and "shop" for free and select clothing to wear at their upcoming prom. In addition to shopping for the perfect prom dress, the young women will be eligible to have experts provide makeup application tips to complete their look.

"The economy is tough right now, so we came up with this idea as a way to help out the kids in the community at a very important time of year for them," says Michael McCarthy, general manager at the UMUC Inn and Conference Center. "This is the first time we've ventured into a project like this so everyone involved has worked very hard to make it a success."

Any clothing from the clothing drive that is not taken by the kids will be donated to Success in Style, an Ellicott City-based charity providing used clothing to at-risk women re-entering the work force.

"Many of us have bridesmaid dresses, party dresses and other things that we've worn once or twice and now just hangs in the closet," says Patty Campbell, executive assistant at the Marriott UMUC Inn and Conference Center and member of the Spirit Committee, the associate-based group that launched Prom Angels Closet. "We figured, why not put them to good use by donating them to people who can really use them. Many families have been affected by layoffs, and with prom dresses retailing for a couple of hundred dollars and up, this will be a significant savings for these kids and their families."

The University of Maryland University College (UMUC) Inn and Conference Center by Marriott is the first hotel in the country to acquire "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" (LEED) certification. The UMUC Inn and Conference Center by Marriott, a hotel in Prince George's County, is committed to reducing its environmental impact through a variety of programs whose scope and breadth far exceed those at other hotels in the region. This commitment to the environment is delivered while providing our guests with signature Marriott service and convenience.