The grand march is slated for 5:30 p.m. in the high school gym. Theme for the prom is "And We Danced." After the grand march, the prom goers will board buses which will take them to the Riverside Coliseum, Richmond, where they will dine and dance to the music of "Billy D & the Crystals."
At midnight, the high school doors will open for the After Prom Party for those not taking part in the festivities in Richmond. The prom goers are expected to return to the school and join the party around 12:30 a.m. Theme of this year's Party is "Back to the 70s."
The After Prom Party is open to all students in the junior and senior class, whether they attend prom or not. At 1:30 a.m., the doors to the high school will be locked and the students will be kept at school until 5:30 a.m. At 5 a.m., breakfast will be served and then students will be collecting their prizes and heading home. If any student wishes to leave the building before the party is over, their parents are notified.
Games will be set up in the high school and middle school gyms. Games include sumo wrestling, obstacle course, coin toss, basketball, and volleyball, to name a few. A caricaturist will also be on hand to draw pictures of the kids. Mike Holtz, a Paynesville graduate and a disc jockey at Q102.5-FM, Willmar, will be playing music throughout the After Prom Party.
Door prizes will be handed out all night. Food to snack on will also be available all night. At the end of the evening, everybody's names are returned to the pot as everybody is eligible for the larger door prizes. Everybody goes home with a prize, thanks to the generosity of the community.
Among the larger prizes drawn for at the end of the evening are a microwave, dorm size refrigerator, video chairs, boom boxes, VCR, and a portrait package from Sheri's.
Prizes for the "early bird" signup are three televisions. To be eligible for the early bird prizes, students need to be registered for the prom by April 23. Volunteers are still needed to help run the games from midnight to 5 a.m.
Anyone interested in helping should contact Patty Stalboerger, 320-243-3287. Anyone wishing to help cover the expenses of the After Prom Party, can leave a donation with Vicki Jenniges at the Community First National Bank or with Barb Koehn, committee chairperson, 320-243-4594. Cost of the party is about $6,000. Last year about 160 students attended the party.