HAZLETON, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — An area prom dress drive has a new name in memory of a local woman who dedicated her life to helping students.
Stacy Marino-Walton from Hazleton tragically lost her life in 2012 to a domestic event with her husband, whose life was also lost that day.
“Beautiful person, kind, caring, fun,” Melissa Marino, Stacy’s sister, said.
“She was fun; she was kind; she was good-hearted, and it’s a loss that we’ll never get over,” shared Alvita Kulsa, Stacy’s best friend.
Stacy Marino-Walton was a Hazleton native who later became an aide and then a teacher within the district.
She was also a member of the Luzerne County Youth Aid Panel, devoting her days to helping students.
“We decided that Stacy Marino-Walton’s Prom Dress Boutique was an awesome way to introduce her life still to these kids she never got a chance to meet,” Hazleton City Police Department Public Information Officer Jessica Surkin explained.
The drive held at Hazleton City Police Headquarters started last year as a way to give back to students in the community.
This year, the department wanted to name it to honor someone special.
“We did this last year, and I thought, ‘My god, my Stacy glittered everywhere she went,'” Kulsa said.
Kulsa works with the Hazleton City Police Department. She helped make the boutique a reality.
“I thought to myself, ‘It’d be a great way to honor her,'” said Kulsa.
Now, girls in need of a prom gown can choose from 300 donated dresses free of charge from the Stacy Marino-Walton Prom Dress Boutique.
Those who knew her say it’s a perfect reminder of the kind of person Stacy was.
“It means a lot because this is something that she, she’s probably so happy right now looking down. This is something she would do. She loved her students, so anything she could do to give back to them, she definitely would,” said Melissa Marino.
“She was kind and beautiful and loving, and no heart was left untouched by her when she came into your life,” shared Kulsa.
You do not need to be a student within the Hazleton Area School District to pick out a dress, anyone is welcome.
The department is no longer accepting donations, but if you are interested in picking out a prom dress, you can find that information at the Stacy Marino-Walton Prom Dress Boutique.
