About 425 senior citizens were treated to an evening of food, music and dancing on April 29 at Northwest High School in Cedar Hill.
The school’s Student Council plans the annual Senior Prom for those 50 and older.
“The students always have fun,” said Lana Romaine, the Student Council adviser.
“They dream up the theme, design the decorations, set the tables and work very hard to make it an enjoyable night.”
The theme was “New Orleans,” and while the prom was not a formal event, attendees were asked to dress up, and some dressed for the theme, Romaine said.
She said the prom gives students a chance to give back to the community, and it gives senior citizens an opportunity to get out and enjoy an evening.
The prom is even more meaningful for seniors who may have missed their own prom, Romaine said.
“Years ago, a lot of people didn’t go to their prom. They couldn’t afford it, or maybe they had dropped out of school, so they didn’t go,” she said. “A lot of guys had gone to the military as soon as they turned 18 and they didn’t stick around (for the prom).”
At each year’s prom, a king and queen are randomly drawn, and this year Pat Leicht was crowned queen, and Larry Jackman was named king.
The Student Council raised money to buy food from Pomodoro’s Pasta and Subs in Arnold for the prom, and students made desserts.
“There were 506 (people) registered, but (some) did not show,” she said. “The sad thing is, we turned away people who wanted to attend.
“The kids work very hard to raise the money to buy the food and decorations, so when there are no-shows, that means food, which is our biggest expense, is unnecessarily purchased.”
Former math teacher Steve Vanhoogstraat spun hits from the 1940s through today.
This year’s prom started and ended a little earlier than in previous years, “so no one was driving home in the dark,” Romaine said.