Prom is a night that is memorable for all. For some, this experience extended well beyond the frills and thrills of the dance. At Jacksonville High School’s post prom this year, several participated in lively and engaging activities. Mrs. Jeanette Barlow organized a spectacular evening/morning for all involved.
At the post prom, which started at midnight after prom, there were many opportunities for students to play for tickets, which would then be put into a drawing for prizes at the end of the morning. Mrs. Barlow rented several inflatable toys, including a two person obstacle course, a maze, a bungee run, as well as two sumo wrestling suits. There were also many relay races throughout the event to keep people busy and awake. These races ranged from creating toilet paper mummies to running with a tennis ball between one’s legs. The most anticipated race was the scavenger hunt, where groups searched the school frantically in order to answer questions. The winners of these races were given tickets for prizes, with exception to the scavenger hunt, where winners received $25.00 Visa gift cards or $20.00 iTunes gift cards. Also, to keep people from drifting off after a long night were plenty of snacks including pizza, cookies, chips, as well as drinks.
Barlow worked for three months to organize a successful event. She got donors to contribute prizes for the post prom-goers. The top prizes were an iPad donated by Rotary and a 32-inch, flat-screen television and a $100 bill donated by Jacksonville Auto Mart. The additional prizes comprised of 23 mystery cash prizes totaling $500 that were given by several donors, including the Jacksonville High School FFA chapter. The remainder of the prizes were various gift cards and local sports team fan wear.
Overall, Mrs. Barlow noted this year’s post prom as the best so far. She states that “the group participated in all the activities throughout the morning” and that it seemed like they were all having a blast. With this achievement, Barlow is eager to host post prom in the future. She hopes for more student participation in the next year and looks forward to seeing what next year’s junior and senior classes bring.