By Rick Palsgrove
Southeast Editor
Dance the night away while sharing memories of the old days at the “Through the Years Senior Prom.”
Groveport Madison Schools and Groveport Town Hall will present the “Through the Years Senior Prom” for Groveport Madison School district residents who are ages 60 and up on April 6 from 4-6 p.m. at Groveport Madison Middle School Central, 751 Main St., Groveport.
The dance will be held in the Middle School Central gym. Register by March 29. Call 614-836-3333 to register. Admission is free.
“People visit Town Hall for events, parties, and to look at the building and the Groveport Heritage Museum,” said Groveport Town Hall Program Coordinator Cristy Duckworth. “Many share past memories of special times they have experienced. One common experience is memories of dances from the ‘old high school.’ We decided to join together with the schools to provide a senior prom.”
Groveport Madison Schools Communications Director Jeff Warner used to be a marketing director in the nursing home industry and one of his facilities had a senior prom for its residents.
“It was a remarkable event and it always stuck with me as such a positive experience for all involved,” said Warner. “I thought the senior prom idea would be great to do as a community outreach effort. It’s another positive partnership between the city of Groveport and the school district.”
Duckworth said the Groveport Heritage Museum will provide historic photos that will be displayed at the event.
“Not only were pictures provided, but the museum is providing yearbooks and news articles that will be on display,” said Duckworth. “For fun and a conservation piece, we are asking everyone to please bring a copy of photos of themselves from the past. The photos will be on display during the prom. We are hoping people will come and create new memories while sharing old memories.”
Warner noted you cannot have a prom dance without music.
“So Groveport Community Affairs Director Patty Storts and Program Coordinator Cristy Duckworth have found a DJ who will play music from the 1940s through the 1970s,” said Warner. “We will have dancing and the opportunity just to socialize. We will have panels located throughout the gym where the guests can post pictures to share memories of fun times throughout the years. We will have some of our high school students who will be helping us decorate the Middle School Central gymnasium, and they will be serving refreshments.”
Warner said an event like this is important for the community.
“When we take a moment to think about some of the most memorable times of our lives, our school-age years stand out as some of the most fun,” said Warner. “Many people have built life-long friendships that began when they were in school. I think the Groveport Madison community is unique in that many of its residents have lived here for generations. I’ve witnessed seniors greet one another in the grocery store or while waiting in line at the bank or the barber shop and their conversations almost inevitably end with, ‘It’s so good to see you again.’ This senior prom is a great opportunity to help reconnect our senior members of the community with one another and to give them a venue and event where they could reminisce about their childhood memories while in Groveport Madison Schools. It’s also a way for us to give back to so many who have supported our students and our schools for many years.”
