Photo Flash: Broadway's Eden Duncan-Smith Attends TLC's SAY YES TO THE PROM Initiative in NYC

On Monday, March 14, TLC kicked off its fifth annual SAY YES TO THE PROM initiative in partnership with AT&T® in New York City, welcoming deserving high school students from all five boroughs to the InterContinental New York Times Square for a day of mentoring and makeovers.

Designed to remove the financial burden of prom while building self-confidence among participants, SAY YES TO THE PROM this year, and for the first time, welcomed young men in addition to young women for the transformative event.

Monte Durham, fashion director and star of TLC's SAY YES TO THE DRESS: ATLANTA, returned as host of the event to guide students in selecting from over 2,000 donated dresses and tuxedo rentals as well as a wide range of accessories and shoes. Paired with a mentor turned style advisor for the day, each student will be treated to custom tailoring services, full hair and makeup and one-on-one style sessions with Monte. A red-carpet, runway reveal show will wrap up the day, giving participants the chance to show off their new prom-ready looks.

In addition to the day's style sessions and makeovers, 16-year-old Broadway and film actress Eden Duncan-Smith (FENCES, LION KING) joined to offer inspirational remarks to the students in the morning.

AT&T® has joined TLC this year as an exclusive industry partner and will provide employee volunteers to serve as mentors and style guides in NYC. In addition to support from AT&T® and premier editorial partner People, SAY YES TO THE PROM will be more impactful than ever before as a result of contributions from national partners including scholarship opportunities from the Emma Bowen Foundation, more than 700 dresses from Sherri Hill, tuxedos from Men's Wearhouse, accessories and salon stylists from JCPenney, hair stylists from Paul Mitchell Schools, airbrush services and artists from Dinair Airbrush Makeup, hands free purses from Girly Go Garter and onsite tailoring from zTailors.

NYC marks the first of five stops on the fifth annual SAY YES TO THE PROM tour, which will this year touch the lives of more than 300 students with additional events in Miami, Los Angeles, Dallas and Silver Spring, Md. from March until May.

Photos courtesy of Discovery