Selecting a prom dress is a rite of spring for millions of teenage girls. An event hosted last weekend by the local arm of a Florida-based nonprofit aimed to bring that same feeling of joy to Cleveland teens battling cancer.

About 100 young women took home 125 prom gowns during a "Dress Extravaganza" held at the Mandel Jewish Community Center. The two-day happening was organized by A Prom to Remember, a group dedicated to giving teen cancer patients a fun, anxiety-free night away from treatments and hospital beds.

Young women, accompanied by family and friends, chose their prom-going garb from more than 1,000 donated dresses, says Rosey Malkin, Cleveland co-chair of A Prom to Remember. Gowns were provided by individual donors along with area shops like Bella Bridesmaids in Rocky River. A seamstress was on hand to make any minor alterations the girls needed.

Along with dresses, participants selected a bevy of shoes, jewelry and wraps. To prepare the girls for their glamorous evening, Brown Aveda Institute was on site offering nail services and massages. The entire event was held at no cost, allowing attendees to concentrate on feeling beautiful without having to worry about the price tag, says Malkin.

"Our (organization) survives based on groups donating services," she says. "So many people had a part in this."

Thanks to the wide-ranging effort, the teens will wear their new dresses at a special prom on April 8 at The Ritz- Carlton in downtown Cleveland. Organizers expect 175 girls to arrive with dates, friends or family in tow. The teens are patients from three hospitals: Akron Children's Hospital , The Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals.

Some of the girls are newly diagnosed, while others are officially cancer-free. Chemotherapy and surgeries have resulted in hair loss or other physical changes, all of which planners have accounted for by inviting patients' nurses and physicians to the night out.

"We have kids who feel crappy from undergoing treatment," Malkin says. "We're creating the safest environment possible for them."

Despite the precautions, picking a dress and going to prom offer the girls a sense of normalcy their daily lives may be lacking.

"It's a few where hours where they don't have to think about how sick they are," says Malkin. "They can just go and have a really good time."