Welland students planning their prom ‘from scratch’
School and board have had nothing to do with event for the past 10 years
The past two graduating classes at École secondaire catholique SaintJean-de-Brebeuf didn’t celebrate the end of the academic year with a prom due to pandemic-related restrictions.
But this year, a group of students at the Welland high school are working hard to make it possible — without any funding from the school or its board, Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir.
The date has been set for June 30 at Delphi Banquet Facilities on Portage Road in Niagara Falls, but an organizing committee is working diligently to make sure it has enough cash to cover a final bill expected to be a bit less than $10,000, said co-chair Emma Lynds, a Grade 12 student.
About $1,500 has been raised so far, and a $300 deposit paid to the venue through funds left over by the committee in 2019, the last time the school held a prom.
Tickets will start being sold in May and made available to all 90 students in the graduating class, along with their “plus one,” said Lynds.
The ticket price is expected to be $80, but if more community financial support comes in the price could drop to about $55, she said.
“We’re trying to do this all from scratch basically,” she said, adding the venue needs to be paid 10 days before the scheduled celebration.
Principal Philippe Desjardins said the school was “directed to not get involved with prom” by the board about 10 years ago, and that the decision was made for liability reasons.
Students started independently putting together prom plans about that time, he said.
He said “no staff members are involved” in the event, nor do they attend to supervise.
The committee occasionally has to approach him about things, but that’s the extent of it.
“We’ll help facilitate if we can, but we don’t take care of any organization,” he said, adding administration and teachers don’t interfere with the committee selling tickets on school property or promoting the event.
Lynds said the committee understands the situation.
“They try to support us as much as they can, but there are limits to what they can and can’t do,” she said.
A recent survey indicated as many as 135 individuals would be attending, but that number could change, said Lynds.
“I have so many students in the graduating class thanking me for trying to make it happen,” she said.
The class of 2022 also sympathizes with the two previous groups who had their proms cancelled by COVID-19.
“They feel so bad for the previous two classes who didn’t get to have a prom,” said Lynds, who will be heading to Trent University in the fall to study environmental chemistry.
“It’s a rite of passage and we just want to have one fun night to remember before we all part ways,” she said.
Currently, there are no parents signed up to chaperone the event, but a security company has been hired for “crowd control in the parking lot as well as a precautionary measure for everyone’s safety,” said Lynds.
A number of businesses have donated prizes for a fundraising raffle, which will be open to students and their families, not the public.
A GoFundMe account is expected to be created so that people from outside the school community can donate toward the event, said Lynds.
Anyone interested in supporting the students’ cause can email Lynds at emmalynds7@gmail.com.
The school, located at Woodlawn and River roads, was renamed in 2020 after many years of it being École secondaire catholique JeanVanier.