Student Council hosted the annual Senior Citizens Prom night event, welcoming anyone over the age of 65 to enjoy dinner and dancing at the highschool.
The Senior Citizens Prom took place on April 3 from 5:00-7:30, hosting 62 seniors with the help of around 20 volunteers. The free event included dinner, live music from The Gene Fiocca Band, naming of Prom King and Queen (a new tradition) and a photo booth. Beth D’Amico, the administrative adviser for the Student Council, spearheaded the event.
“They decorated this year and decided to have a photo op. So we took pictures of each couple, each person, and we’ll have those developed and then they’ll come back and pick them up at the school,” D’Amico said.
According to D’Amico, funding for the night comes from the student council’s budget.
“Student council pays for it from our fundraisers, Homecoming being the major fundraiser. The board decides what we do. And they like doing this event and they like to give back to the senior citizens,” she said.
Previous attendees receive an invitation through a mailing list. Besides that, D’Amico sends out flyers to local nursing homes and displays them on the district’s website to promote the event. Although no nursing homes attended this year, D’Amico mentioned a particular couple was able to participate.
“We do have some senior citizens that come from outside. In fact, this year we had a couple from Erie, Pennsylvania,” D’Amico said.
Both volunteers and attendees find value in the connections this event creates.
Revere High School Principal Doug Faris was present at the prom and got to experience these connections first hand.
“It just ties us to our community. . . . I can’t tell you how many people at the senior citizen prom . . . were just super grateful to be out and have something to do. And bringing senior citizens into an environment where there’s young people . . . they feel energized and they feel young again. I think they feel connected to the community,” Faris said.
Senior Sydney Firca is the student council’s treasurer and volunteered at the dance. She shared Faris’s sentiment about the importance of the dance, describing how this event is a door to many others at Revere.
“It’s a good thing to have because it’s fun to see people come into the community, and they’re so grateful that we host. And then once they come one year, they’re always wanting to come again. And then they also start coming to more stuff. Like we have a breakfast for the musicals and plays . . . and the senior citizens can come and eat and then go watch,” Firca said.
Student Council encourages anyone in the Revere community over the age of 65 to come next year, and to get involved with the other opportunities the district offers.
Click HERE for more Lantern Coverage on events in the community.
