Linn County area adults had a second chance at their senior prom. Thanks to funds raised through the event, $1,200 in past due lunches in Linn County School Districts were cleared.
Participants went to reminisce and relive their special prom day. Others missed out on their high school prom completely and some had big plans but their high school prom didn’t turn out as it hoped.
It was Renee Clemens’ daughter, Kayleigh England, 26, who showed her mom a TikTok video about adult proms.
“She told me ‘Mom, I had a terrible time at my own prom, and I know that I am not the only one out there so let’s do an adult prom,’” Renee says. “I jumped on board with her as I never attended my own high school prom. I was excited and we immediately began asking for volunteers to help, thinking of ideas for the theme and raffle ideas to help with the financial part.”
Renee, who is a CHC/SEK-Pleasanton registration clerk, and a group of five women from the community came up with the theme of “Wicked Step Back in Time”.
They held bake sales, raffle prizes from donated items from local businesses in Linn County and sold prom tickets. Each ticket paid for their entrance into the prom along with dinner, dessert, entertainment and nonalcoholic beverages. The Pleasanton Food Fair grocery store donated all of the meat for the dinner which was a taco bar or pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw.
“I heard many stories throughout the night about nostalgia,” Renee says. “Such as ‘I didn’t go to my own prom’, ‘this prom is so much better.’ One gentleman even told me the story of his senior prom; he could not afford a ‘fancy’ car to take his date to prom. This time, he had a fancy car for prom, and he took his wife out cruising the town, blaring 90s rock music before coming to prom.”
Renee and her prom team are already planning their next event, set for Oct. 19, 2024. Its theme will be “Evening in Paris Masquerade Ball.” People can stay up to date on the upcoming adult prom on Facebook at Linn County Adult Prom.
