WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — Debutante balls are a night of tradition, elegance, and magic. A night that is brought to life after months of planning.

“When we bring the girls in January I mean we go straight to work from day one and it’s a lot of hard work,” Dean of Debutantes LaKenya Breedlove said.

Work that LaKenya and Audrey Maclin, President of the Progressive Women’s Club, said continues up until the day of the ball. Both are excited to be gearing up for year 71!

Eight young ladies and two junior Debutantes will be taking their perfect curtsy’s, in what Maclin calls a big milestone.

“I think they become very emotional. I’m emotional every year because I see when they start out as buds and then they blossom into flowers, and they don’t think they have it in them but they do,” Maclin said.

Debutante balls honor the ladies and formally present them to society for these former debutantes themselves.

It’s a moment that reminds them why they want to keep the tradition going.

“It’s a huge milestone. The Progressive Women’s Club is the oldest African American club. I have no words for it because I did it, and it was like the best experience. I mean, we’re bringing these young ladies out, they are graduating seniors, this is basically their introduction into society,” Breedlove said.

In order for this tradition to be around for the next 70 years, both ladies said they’d love to see more community members get involved.

“If not us then whom? And, I live by that, we work by that, we want the young ladies to know they deserve this. They deserve to be debutantes,” Maclin said.

Whether you purchase an advertisement in their program, or donate your time and money, it’s all appreciated to make the night perfect.

“We have some new things coming out this year so it’s going to be wonderful. It’s going to be grand. I think this will be the best ball we’ve done in a long time,” Breedlove said.

A level of poise and etiquette, these two want every generation to feel.

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