OWASSO, Okla. — Calling all Green Country Moms! You're invited to a mom's night out filled with the promise of food, photo ops, and plenty of fun.
"As moms, we have so much on our plates- we are constantly the wife, the mom, the student, we're the employee, we have all these hats that we wear, and this night- you get to take that hat off- and just be a fun mom for the night," says Esther Foley, one of the organizers of the Mom Prom.
September 14th is the second annual Mom Prom, and this year's theme is 'Pretty in Pink.' "We've got another fantastic night planned," says Foley.
Mom Prom is a fundraiser for the Legacy Family Network, a non-profit started by Melinda Ames, a Mom on a mission.
"Our mission is to help children in foster and adoptive homes by connecting, equipping, and supporting the families that care for them. So the families open up their hearts to children in need, and we are there to walk alongside them," says Ames.
This faith-based organization started in Ames's living room. It officially became a non-profit in 2016 and has gained so much momentum that it now has an Owasso office space across from Owasso High School.
"Last year, we served around 479 families across Oklahoma. They were in 66 of the 77 counties, and that impacted about 1,500 children," says Ames.
Children like Bethany Duell's. "We have five beautiful children. I have three older girls and two younger children that we just adopted," explains Duell.
This mom to teens and now toddlers says Legacy Family Network is a blessing. "They provide parent education hours, and on those nights, they also provide dinner for you and your kids, and when you're a foster parent, you're running around and trying to keep all the balls in the air. It's invaluable to have an organization that steps up and says, 'Hey, we know you need something. Tell us what you need, and they provide all of the things.'" says Duell. Ames adds, "My absolute favorite program that we offer is our family support nights, so families are able to come and receive training that equips them to handle some of the hard things they deal with because they get kids from hard places. Most importantly, they're also surrounded by the community."
Bringing the community together is what's behind Mom Prom, too.
"One of our core values at Legacy is to have fun, life is hard. So it's fun to get together with your gal pals and raise money," says Ames.
Money raised from Mom Prom will go to create Blessing Bags filled with comfort items for children placed in new foster homes. "So those bags, we hope to help the children know they're seen and heard and that we care for them and are praying for them," says Ames.
You don't have to be a Foster or Adoptive Mom to attend Mom Prom, but one will be crowned Prom Queen during the night.
"I fully believe that not everybody is supposed to be a foster parent or adopt, but I think we can all agree that every child deserves to be in a safe, loving home, so one way you can help make that happen and support Legacy is come to Mom Prom. Get your pink dress, wear pink sweats, whatever you want to, and have a fun night out with friends," says Ames.
Mom Prom is September 14th at 7 p.m. at Vinterra Event Center in Bixby. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased here. You can also find out more information about Legacy Family Network here.
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