By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
LINWOOD — “I am really excited for prom this year just to celebrate with everyone, and I like that it’s outside because it will be really pretty on the bay,” Anna Paytas said.
She and the other members of the Class of 2021 learned last week that Mainland Regional High School would be holding a senior prom this year.
Traditionally hosted by the junior class, the prom was not held last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, which prevented gatherings of that size.
This year’s seniors missed out last year, so the Mainland Regional Education Foundation (MREF) is working with the After-Prom Committee to treat those students to as much of the fun and excitement of the traditional events as they can in a safe setting.
This year it will be open only to the senior class and held outside.
Chief School Administrator Mark Marrone announced March 4 that the event would be held Thursday, June 3, outside at The Point at 988 Bay Ave. in Somers Point.
“Due to existing social distancing and ‘gathering’ limitations, coupled with the fact that last year’s juniors, who are currently seniors, did not have a prom, the district will hold a senior prom,” Marrone stated in a letter to Mustang Nation, noting the beachfront bar and restaurant would be closed to the public during the event, from 6 to 10 p.m.
Spanish teacher Carmel Kelly and 21st Century Skills teacher Torie Rich, junior advisers to the prom, were excited about being able to host the event this year, saying the venue is perfect for social distancing.
The Point is an outdoor restaurant and bar on the bay with multiple decks linked by boardwalks above sandy areas with lounge chairs. Palm trees are planted in the sand with pockets of sofas and café tables alongside tiki statues and torch lighting behind a fence reminiscent of the stockade built to protect villagers from King Kong.
In June, the sun will shine until about 8:30, then it will cool off as the evening unwinds.
Rich, who worked at The Point in the summer, said the establishment is adding full awnings to the property this year, allowing for the event to be held rain or shine.
“Unless it’s whipping sideways, it’s on no matter what,” Rich said. “It will be completely covered all the time.”
She said the planning is actually easier this year because no decorating is involved and ticket sales will be digital.
“The hardest part always is selling the tickets and getting the paperwork in but now that it’s all digital this year, it makes it so much easier for us,” Rich said.
There will be no After-Prom this year but there will be prize giveaways during the prom, she said.
“We are going to work in unison with the MREF and After-Prom Committee in the hopes that they will be able to come to the prom and still do raffles and prize giveaways that they normally would at the After-Prom but during the actual prom this year,” Rich said, noting restrictions prohibit having everyone in the school gyms where After-Prom is traditionally held.
There won’t be all of the games of luck and skill as usual but Rich said The Point will set up cornhole and giant Jenga for those who want to take a break from dancing.
Thousands of dollars in cash, prizes, gift cards and other items are collected from area merchants and professional services businesses every year for After-Prom, which was started as an alternative to students going to parties and drinking alcohol. The event is wildly popular, even more so than the prom itself. It brings the community together through donations and volunteerism in a fun and safe environment.
Rich said she didn’t think there would be a problem collecting donations this year, even with less time than usual and during a pandemic.
“I actually think people are probably going to be pretty willing to give things away for this class because last year there wasn’t a prom and they know that,” she said.
Kelly said the After-Prom Committee would be “doing everything possible to give them the most they possibly can.”
“They are fairly confident they are going to be able to get some decent things together by the time June rolls around,” Rich said.
At the prom, attendees will order off the menu and be served just as if they were customers.
Rich said The Point has “gotten really creative with the food that they are doing to be able to meet any kind of dietary restrictions any students have.”
She said students would have to adhere to all social distancing guidelines from the state in effect at the time.
“We will see what happens come June,” she added, noting students would have to wear masks while dancing.
Rich said the venue is spread out with little pockets of seating and multiple dance floors “so that there are smaller groups on the dance floor at the same time.”
As a bar and restaurant, there normally would be alcohol behind the bars but to prohibit access, “it will stay locked up for the night,” Rich said.
“There’s no way anybody can sneak anything, reach over and grab anything,” Kelly said.
The Point also has a controlled entry with only one way in and out and will be providing its own security at the door just in case members of the public try to enter. Rich said the management is advertising the fact that it will be closed that evening.
Rich said there has been no shortage of volunteers, possibly due to the setting.
“We have had the greatest chaperone response ever,” Rich said. “I’m going to have to cap the number of chaperones.”
Paytas, the senior, said she thinks it’s going to be a good time even though the setting will be different than usual.
“I definitely think it’s going to be more relaxed,” she said, prompting her to question what she will wear.
“I don’t know what the attire is going to be yet. I don’t know if it’s going to be like suits and super-nice dresses or maybe more just like summer clothes,” she said.
Senior Cassie Sher, of Northfield, said many girls bought their dresses last year and “I don’t know if they want to put that to waste.”
She plans to dress formally.
“I would like to dress up because I like dressing up,” Sher said. “I feel like the girls’ issue is shoes — you can’t wear heels on the sand.”
Rich said they would leave it up to the students.
“We think we’re just going to let them run with it,” she said. “Some of the kids will want to get dressed up, put on a dress, put on a tux. We are going to let them decide.”
Rich said hosting the event at The Point will cost the same as it has at other venues but that tickets would cost less than the usual $100 since no prom was held last year and there is no need to make as much money this year to keep up the account balance.
She said the establishment’s maximum capacity is 1,000 persons so only 350 tickets would be available. The class size is about 300 but not everyone attends. She said with the junior and senior classes combined they have never had more than 600 students, so she is pretty confident that everyone who wants to attend will be able to do so.
Tickets will go on sale at the end of April or early May, she said.
Rich noted that even though it is a senior-only prom, students can bring anyone from any grade or other school as usual.
Paytas said having the prom and graduation at the end of the year makes them more meaningful.
“It’s kind of like this and graduation are the last things we really get to do together before we go off for summer and our separate ways,” she said.