The promenade is always a special part of prom. This year, students have had the idea to bring the promenade to other places. High school students will line the halls of the Ranch House and parade down in their prom attire.
“My daughter and her friend went to prom in Buckland last year, and they had so much doing a lot of little things, but one of the things that they did was the whole school went to the nursing home and did a promenade through the nursing home. We thought that would be a really good idea to try here. They talked to Mrs. Reich about it and made the arrangements to do that,” Jennifer Meng, Public Service counselor, said.
This idea that sparked from a conversation quickly turned into a reality, as students took the initiative and brought their project to life.
“We talked to Reich and we reached out to the Ranch House, and we put it together. It will be at 5:30 and you just get to walk through and see all the people,” Kaylee McDonald, Public Service junior, said.
This activity is a very simple thing that will make a big impact on the community. McDonald and Meng hope to share this great experience with those here.
“I loved that everyone participated. It was super nice and the residents really enjoyed it, and it made their day so I think I’d be super fun to do here. I think it gives them something to do other than what they already do; it gives them something different. I think we should want to make them happy and provide experiences like this for them,” Livi Meng, Public Service junior, said.
Intergenerational interaction is important for every community. Activities like this show that there are many benefits.
“I think that anytime we can do anything for the elderly population, they love it. They always love to see teenagers and to see kids so I think that seeing you all dressed up will just really make their day. I don’t understand why we, even though we’re big, can’t do something like this that’s fun for the community,” Meng said.
No matter how big or small the town size, simple organized events like this can make such a big impact in the community.
“I think it’ll put a really big smile on their face. They’re kind of stuck in there so we thought it’d be a good opportunity to bring it to them, just because they can’t go to it. I hope the kids here enjoy the promenade as much as the grandparents do and as much as the people did in Buckland. It’s really special to see the smile on their faces. I hope people sign up. I think people are a little hesitant because they don’t know what to expect, but I think it’ll be an exciting and happy thing. I hope people continue it because it’s not only important here, but also to the people at the Ranch House,” McDonald said.
