'Sky's the limit': Racine students with special needs pick their dream prom outfits for free

 

RACINE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- It's a Monday afternoon and 18-year-old Jordan Hudson is standing in front of a mirror, dressed to the nines in a classic black suit and a pair of shiny shoes.

"I really like this suit," Hudson said, while admiring his outfit. "Not gonna lie, I might keep these pants."

He's one of several teens inside of a Men's Wearhouse in Racine, in need of a proper ensemble for their upcoming prom.

"It's my first time going," Hudson told CBS 58's Ellie Nakamoto-White. 

Carefully watching the group is Ray Cushman, a special education teacher at Horlick High School in the Racine Unified School District (RUSD). 

“We want them to have total automaticity, to just come in and say hey, this is what I want to look like on my best day," Cushman said. “The more community we can build in the students themselves is better for everybody.”

All of the shoppers inside are members of the school's most significant needs or next-most significant needs classes.

And thanks to a long-term partnership with the store, all of the outfits chosen are being given for free.

“It’s hard for their families to come up with a couple hundred dollars to get a suit, and Men’s Wearhouse has always picked up the tab for our students and we can’t be more grateful and more passionate to have this partnership with them," Cushman said. “We’re here for just the kids and the families that are in our district and in our area. Who can we make the most impact with?”

For RUSD students, prom is on Saturday, May 18.

And for those shopping Monday, it can't come soon enough.

“They see people doing prom proposals and things like that, that’s things they’re getting excited for," Cushman said. "So, they think if they’re going to look the best on their day, then hey, sky’s the limit.”