Police Raise Thousands So Every Senior At Southland High School Can Go To Prom

WATTS (CBSLA) — Attending prom is a right of passage for most high schoolers, but the cost of tickets to the end-of-year festivities can be prohibitive to some.

For students in Watts who found themselves in such a situation this year, the Los Angeles Police Dept. came through with a prom-posal graduates won't soon forget.

LAPD officers on Thursday presented students at David Starr Jordan High School with a giant check for $7,000, which will cover the $110 admission for 60 seniors this year.

The gesture brought Litzy Mejia to tears.

"I'm crying because there was a lot of students that couldn't afford prom," Mejia said at a podium in front of her school. "It was sad to see that you spend four years with them, and, like, they're not gonna be able to go just because of money."

One of those students was Emily Flores.

"Yeah, I want to go to prom, but the only thing going through my mind was, 'How are we going to pay for it?'" said Flores, who was attending the announcement with her mother.

"It's, like, many words, that you can't describe the feeling," Emily's mother told CBS2 News.

The donation was made possible through the LAPD's nonprofit Badge of Heart.

"I am very proud and honored to help out these students," said LAPD Officer Ken Lew.

The Great Gatsby-themed prom will take place Friday at the Biltmore Hotel in Downtown L.A.