By now, the majority of society knows that attending a high school prom is quite the expense. And for what? The extravagant dress is worn for a measly few hours and planning transportation is super stressful; it’s one blasé night of your life. When you truly think about the meaning of prom…well, there is no meaning.
But everyone has the power to turn a traditional, wildly overrated event into something having an authentic purpose. High school teen Aubrey Headon did just that. She didn’t simply make her prom her own special night though; she took the time to make an incredible statement about a neglected part of her community.
This is Illinois high schooler Aubrey Headon. Just as most upperclassmen at Rochelle Township High School do, the teen track star attended her prom; but when she arrived, she didn’t exactly appear as your typical black-tie-attire-dressed prom attendee.
While some teens seek out dresses that will flatter their figure or impress their judgmental fellow peers (you know how high school is), miss Aubrey was inspired to dress for a completely unexpected reason.
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She loved to give back, and after a chance encounter with Gretchen Catherwood and her husband Kirk, Aubrey started getting involved in their non-profit, the Darkhorse Lodge. She was inspired by Aubrey’s story.
Ogle County News
You see, Gretchen, the Gold Star mom, was so dedicated to building U.S. vets a calming retreat because she herself lost a son, U.S. Marines lance corporal Alec Catherwood, to Afghanistan in 2010.
WIFR
Alec Catherwood was a part of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, which was dubbed 3/5 or Darkhorse, hence the name of the combat veterans retreat. These brave Marines fought in battle between September 2010 and April 2011.
Marine Corps veteran Jerry Oleson, a family friend of Alec and Gretchen’s, confirmed forthcoming Darkhorse projects: “It’s our goal to have 5 cabins, each with 5 rooms, each room named after one of those marines that Alec had served with, and to serve combat veterans for a week,” Oleson said. Aubrey supported the mission whole-heartedly.
YouTube
Working with Darkhouse made Aubrey feel like she was really giving back. In fact, she started running an annual fundraiser to raise money for the lodge and their endeavors.
After having sold t-shirts she handcrafted for her October 2018 fundraiser, Aubrey was able to give Darkhorse an impressive $2,133. Not bad for a teenage girl with heaps of motivation.
The Paris Post-Intelligencer
The thought of honoring the tragic losses of soldiers who fought for America meant the world to Aubrey. The youthful Illinoisian was concerned that these fallen soldiers would “fade to nothing” in the busy, occupied minds of the public.
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Well, for the next two years she spent a lot of time making sure that didn’t happen. Clearly, Aubrey was beyond her years, assuring that her peers would open their eyes to who fought to keep their country safe.
So how was Aubrey going to pay a tribute to these fallen soldiers during prom, you may be wondering? Well, within those two years prior to the highly anticipated event, she sewed and embroidered her little heart out to later reveal a patriotic masterpiece.
Bustle
Aubrey’s nationalistic dress stunned everyone, as the detailed ribbons, color scheme, and heartening concept struck a chord in those around her, as well as those across social media.
Give It Love
Her ensemble, which was constructed to resemble an American flag, commemorated specifically those 25 fallen Marines belonging to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines.
She devoted so much time to preparing her dress, hand embroidering all 25 names of the Marines across the red, white, and black ribbons that gracefully fell along the skirt of the gown.
WIFR
Along with those heroes, she also honored Rochelle Township High alumnus Tyler Smith. Tyler was a member of the Illinois Army National Guard and had tragically died in a drowning casualty.
The Register-Mail
“I wanted to wear this tribute dress to my senior prom so the memories of the guys who fell in Afghanistan for our right to live how we do and do what we do every day is carried on,” Aubrey said. But that wasn’t all she did.
Rochelle News-Leader
Aubrey also built a three-panel bristol board poster, which carefully illustrated the names of the 25 Marines in the Battalion. Each photo on the board coordinated with a caption about who each soldier was.
To her delight, Aubrey received a massive amount of encouraging messages from strangers and friends alike. People have thanked her for her “gallant gesture,” and some responses truly touched her heart.
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“The biggest response has been from Gold Star families, thanking me for remembering their loved ones,” a grateful Aubrey explained to reporters.
Aubrey sacrificed her own vanity and selfdom often associated with prom to bring awareness and dignity to a group that sacrificed their lives for America.