BY CAMI KOONS
Start shopping and making reservations, Eudora High School plans on hosting prom later this spring.
As of now, prom is scheduled for May 15 and will take place outdoors at the high school. Activities Director Cara Kimberlin said these plans depend on COVID-19 positivity rates and guidance from Douglas County.
“Everything is so up in the air, how do you plan for anything?” Kimberlin said.
Prom was originally scheduled April 17, but Kimerblin said last week the district decided to move it back a month and received approval from the county for the later date. Kimerblin said a later date means more people will be vaccinated and a mass gathering will be more feasible.
The district is determined to give the students a prom, especially considering the absence of the event last year due to the pandemic. Kimberlin said hosting a safe prom is the priority, but she’s not sure what that will look like and planning is still in its beginning stages.
“We might be flying by the seat of our pants, but we’ll give these kids an event,” Kimberlin said.
The parents in charge of the All-Night Prom Committee are determined to make their event take place as well. All-Night Prom is designed to give students a safe and fun after-prom experience by offering activities and prizes.
Crystal Meier, one of the parents on the committee, said the group has only met a couple of times thus far and, like prom itself, the planning is in its beginning stages. Typically the event has been at Eudora Middle School, but Meier said that space is unavailable this year. The group is looking into other locations.
“Hopefully we can have it as normally as we possibly can,” Meier said.
All-Night Prom was delayed because of the pandemic last year, and resulted in an outdoor scavenger hunt over the summer. The committee plans on hosting an All-Night Prom similar to a normal year, where students arrive between midnight and 1 a.m. the night of prom and stay until 5 a.m. the following morning.
Meier said the group is considering both indoor and outdoor options and said it will probably end up being a mixture of both.
The incentive for students to attend All-Night Prom is the prizes. Meier said the group normally hosts fundraising events throughout the year for the giveaways, but this year, they’ve gone digital. The group created an Amazon wishlist, which anyone can access and purchase items to donate.
Meier said the list has been successful so far, and she’s been touched to see community members and even former EHS students helping out by purchasing items. She said everyone seems determined to make the event happen this year.
“I think the community feels the same way,” Meier said. “Let’s give these kids something normal.”
Reach reporter Cami Koons at eudoratimes@gmail.com. To donate to support our community journalism, please go to this link: tinyurl.com/y4u7stxj