Volunteers Needed for After Prom Party

At midnight after the senior prom on May 24, Natick High School will be transformed. Until 5 AM, the NHS After Prom Party will offer laser tag, fortune tellers, fake tattoo artists, a casino area, a blow-up obstacle course, and bouncy houses for teens, in a supervised, drug and alcohol free place to continue the prom festivities.
The event, which requires a substantial amount of work from committee members, costs over $25,000. An honor society student ran an online auction in April as a community service project, and other events such as a Boston sports ticket raffle, a Left-Center-Right tournament, and a Roche Brothers fundraiser have helped to defray the cost. “I can’t express how thankful we are for the community support,” said Rebecca Schneekloth, co-chair of the committee. Prizes are donated by local businesses, and people donate couches to create comfortable lounging or sleeping options throughout the school.
Parents and other adults from the community volunteer in shifts at the event, monitoring the doors, dealing blackjack, serving food, or assisting in whatever capacity is needed. Businesses donate much of the food, and the committee purchases the rest. Students coming from the prom have options like pizza, burritos, and breakfast food. Most have already changed into shorts or yoga pants and though they are allowed to leave, they are encouraged to stay the entire night. “We give out the majority of the prizes at the end,” said Schneekloth. Massachusetts State Law prohibits drivers under 18 from driving between midnight and 5 am. Most students are picked up or stay until 5.
“It takes a huge committee,” Schneekloth said. “We work on it from September to May and then some.” The Afterprom Party volunteers generally follow the principle of “paying it forward.” Schneekloth’s children are in 9th and 10th grade, and she began volunteering on the committee last year, to support the event now so that her children may go to their Afterprom Party without having a parent present. “Some kids don’t mind if their parents are there. Mine do.” The committee is seeking more parents to be part of the core committee, to continue the cycle of support.
“It’s a lot of work and a lot of hands, but we’re ensuring that 600 kids are in a safe spot for the entire prom night,” she said. If you would like to volunteer, email nhsappinfo@gmail.com. Donations can be made at https://www.gofundme.com/NatickAfterPromParty2019.