LEOMINSTER -- The last time Leominster High School had a prom fashion show, many of the students going to this year's prom were newborns.

But the members of the LHS chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions are reviving the tradition, last held in 1992, to promote their message and help some of their classmates defer the costs of going to prom.

SADD is hosting a prom fashion show fundraiser March 4 at LHS, where students will model donated dresses and have the opportunity to take a gown to wear to the big event later in the spring, SADD President Chelsea King, 17, said.

"We're basically making it easier for people to afford to go to the prom," the LHS junior said. "For some people, I think it does get too expensive for them to go. It can be very costly."

SADD has collected more than 50 gowns so far, and will be taking donations of clean, in-style prom dresses through Friday, Feb. 26, said Lauren Dewey, 17, an LHS junior and SADD treasurer.

Directly after the fashion show, they'll be available on a first-come, first-served basis for girls to browse through and select a prom dress for free, Dewey and King said.

The teenagers don't want the cost of buying a brand-new dress to stop someone from going to one of the most memorable high school events, they said.

"We've gotten several dresses that are really nice," King said. "There are some that are a little outdated, but for the most part they're very nice."

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Boys have it a little easier: tuxedo rentals usually run about $100, Dewey said.

Tickets to the prom vary depending on how much money a class has raised before the event, but usually range from $50 to $60 each, then there are the additional costs, such as renting a limo and professional hair and makeup.

At the LHS prom fashion show, there will also be a fundraiser raffle with gifts donated from Elena Mae's Bridal Boutique and Sun in the City tanning, Dewey said. Rene's Formal Wear is donating tuxes for the show, Manestream Hair Design is providing hair services for the models and Carrie Czajkowski is helping with makeup.

"We're trying to help some people lower the cost," Dewey said.

People who have clean, new or gently worn, prom-appropriate gowns may donate them to the SADD prom fashion show through this coming Friday, Feb. 26, either at the Fidelity Co-Operative Bank on the Leominster Connector during regular business hours, or the main office of Leominster High School.

The prom fashion show will be held Thursday, March 4, in the Leominster High School auditorium, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Admission is $3 and the show is open to the public.

She added that costs may keep some teens home on prom night this year.

"I know, in general, a lot of people are having trouble with money now," Dewey said.

All of the 16 models at the fashion show are members of SADD, King said.

LHS went without a SADD group for several years, but recently revived it, said Sherri Tammelin, King's mother, who also runs the school's community service program.

"The prom fashion show will bring awareness to SADD," she said. "These girls are juniors now, if they keep it going strong, the classes after them will keep it up. You want to build some excitement about it. I think it's going to grow."

SADD changed its initial focus from steering young people away from drunken driving to advocating for positive choices when teens are faced with important decisions, King said.

"They really broadened what they do," she said. "We speak out against texting and driving, speeding, reckless driving, drug use, underage drinking."

Teens are faced with making important decisions every day, Dewey and King said.

They acknowledged some of their classmates will drink alcohol and experiment with drug use, and they said their group's mission is to encourage them to make better choices. Impaired driving always becomes a concern as spring rolls around and students start getting into prom and graduation season, they said.

"We absolutely don't want anyone drinking and driving," King said. "Some people are always going to what they think is cool, instead of what's right."

Dewey said it can be a challenge to steer other teens away from peer pressure, but said, "We have to lead by example."

"We don't want to lose any friends," she said.