ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The state girls basketball tournament is bringing thousands of people to Northeast Wisconsin.
Players might go home with more than a trophy… they might take a new dress back to their home town.
Many girls playing in the tournament will also take the opportunity to go prom dress shopping.
“I am very stressed, honestly. This was supposed to be my weekend to go and get my prom dress,” said Kewaskum basketball player Julia Steger.
Steger said that now that her team is here at state, she hopes to have time to check the selection out up here.
“You just know when you find the right one and everything. I feel like, especially since we are at the state tournament, I feel like it would be super memorable to get it up here — like ‘Oh, yeah, I got my prom dress right after we played at state.’ I feel like it would be really cool to bring one home,” said Steger.
The WIAA tournament creates about a $2 million economic impact for the Green Bay Area.
“We also know that the dress stores selling prom dresses see a considerable bump this week in business, so really those dollars get spent throughout our community and it’s fantastic economically,” said President and CEO of Discover Green Bay Brad Toll
Elaine’s Wedding and Event Center is one of those stores that see’s that bump.
“Girls come in usually after the tournament. Usually, they’re still in their sweatpants, their basketball clothes,” said store consultant Hope Copiskey. “The girls come in, we have prom consultants that are kind of assigned to each room and we get them set up with a room right away.”
Copiskey says people choose Elaine’s for a reason.
“We have a lot of designer dresses, and I know that those can be hard to get in Northeast Wisconsin. So, unless you’re going to go to Chicago, this is the place to be.”
Steger is hoping to find a certain type of dress.
“Most of my friends are doing tighter, long dresses with like slits in them and stuff, since I’m a senior. Last year, we did the poofy dresses, but I think I’m going for a straighter one this year.”
Copiskey says events like these spread the word about the store.
“It’s the state tournament, so we get a lot of different people in here from a lot of different areas. Then they go back home and spread the word that they got their dress here.”
The tournament runs through Saturday at the Resch Center.
