Wrangell residents 21-years-old and up are invited to this year's Adult Prom, to be held March 30 upstairs at the Elks Lodge. Proceeds raised by the prom go to benefit the Wrangell High School Class of 2021.
Music, dancing, celebration, awkward photographs, there is a lot that goes into a prom that makes the evening special. For most people, going to prom ends after graduating from high school. In Wrangell, however, the party just keeps going. Wrangellites over the age of 21 are invited to the second annual "adult prom" at the end of the month.
Lucy Robinson, with the parks and recreation department, and Caitlin Cardinell, with Alaska Waters, have been working to help organize the prom. Dawn Angerman and the Wrangell Elks Lodge have been helping as well, they added. The prom is more than just a reason to get out and have some fun, they said, it is also a fundraiser for the high school class of 2021. Last year they raised about $1,200 and that money goes towards the high school class's prom and other school events.
"We thought it would be a fun way for adults to get out and dance," Robinson said. "As the years have gone by there's no formal dance in Wrangell any longer. There used to be formal dances, with the Purple Bubble Ball and some different things, but there's not really a formal dance opportunity."
"Formal" does not mean tuxedos and frilly dresses are required for the adult prom, however. This year's prom is jungle themed, and Cardinell said that people can get as formal or as ridiculous as they want.
The idea for an adult prom got started several years ago, Robinson said, with a prom-themed birthday party at Rayme's Bar. It was such a fun evening that the idea of an adult prom stuck with her. Then the idea came up that they could use the prom to support her son's high school class, and like that the first adult prom was born.
"I also feel like adults work really hard to raise money for kids in the community, like the classes," she said. "You always see the adults at the bake sales and at the concession stands, just grinding away at all the stuff. I know they enjoy it, but it's also very tedious. So I thought, you know, how fun would it be if we had a great night and came together ... so we can dance for a great cause versus sitting in a concession stand or down at a bake sale?"
They added that there will be a wide variety of music that all ages of people can enjoy, spanning from the 1950s to the present. There will be a bar as well as non-alcoholic drinks, plenty of door prizes, contests, and photo opportunities. The prom will be held at the Elks Lodge, upstairs, on March 30. The doors open at 9 p.m. and the party will wind down around 11:30 p.m.
"We'll be posting more and more updates, and sharing as much as we can through social media and word of mouth to spread the word," Cardinell said.
Reader Comments(0)