Volunteers Needed For Ocean City’s After-Prom

By MADDY VITALE On Saturday, May 20, Ocean City High School students will enjoy an event that will likely stay with them a lifetime – the prom. They will walk the red carpet at the historic Flanders Hotel at 6 p.m. and enjoy the night of delicious food and fun. And afterward, prom-goers will have the opportunity to continue the night and make more memories, also in a safe, alcohol-free environment, with After-Prom. But with just weeks before the major event, in its 29th year, volunteers are still needed to help make the After-Prom what it has been known for – a high quality, fantastic occasion held at the high school, 501 Atlantic Ave. The school will be transformed. The theme is “Denim & Diamonds.” Here are some giveaways slated for the After-Prom. (Photo courtesy of the After-Prom committee) Attendees will play games, listen to live entertainment, eat tons of food, and enjoy giveaways from T-shirts to gift cards from local businesses. “We are super-excited to provide the safest and most fun high school party of all time, Denim and Diamonds, for 600 teens on May 20. We still need 75 helpers, food donations, and giveaways,” After-Prom co-chair Amy Holmes said Wednesday. She continued, “The OCHS community has always supported this event, and we are hopeful this year is no different. With only two weeks left to plan, we need parents and staff members to join us so that we can fulfill the mission to keep our teenagers safe on prom night at this extraordinary drug and alcohol-free all-nighter.” Holmes attributed much of the success of the After-Prom to the dedicated volunteers made up primarily of parents, guardians and alumni, as well as many pleased prom-goers. Freshman Sienna Audino won the art contest to design the logo for this year’s Denim & Diamonds design. Holmes said she is hopeful that more helpers will sign up to become a part of the special event. Each year Holmes, and her husband Bill Holmes, of Upper Township, along with Jen and Charlie Bowman, of Ocean City, co-chair the event. Bowman said each year the event gets better and better. “Year after year, it's always so humbling to see the outpouring from our community. We are still in need of food, donations, prizes, and monetary donations,” Jen Bowman explained. “No donation is too large or too small to celebrate our awesome students.” OCHS freshman Sienna Audino, left, holds her winning artwork for the After-Prom theme, with High School Principal Wendy O'Neal. (Photo courtesy of the After-Prom organizers) The After-Prom excitement is from 11 p.m. through 3 a.m. and is made possible through the volunteers who give their time to the event as well as local businesses that donate food, gifts, games and more. Prom-goers will be shuttled over to the high school, where they can enter through the Sixth Street auditorium, where they can get changed into comfortable attire. From 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. there will be an open house so that the community may see all of the hard work the committee does to make the event possible year after year. Then they will enjoy an array of activities, including live entertainment, food and giveaways from local businesses — all in a safe and alcohol-free environment. Each year, the event organizers emphasize that they couldn’t do it without the help of other volunteers, along with the local businesses who donate gifts and food. High School Principal Wendy O’Neal said that the After-Prom is an important and wonderful event. “After-Prom is the biggest event of the year for OCHS! It is a well-planned, fun-filled, drug and alcohol-free event for our students,” O'Neal said in an email. “We are thankful to our community for coming together to provide this opportunity and so many generous prizes to our students. Many other schools can say they have an After-Prom, but nothing like an OCHS After-Prom evening -- there is fun, food, friendship and a lot of laughter.” There is a Sign-Up Genius link on the After-Prom Facebook page, Ocean City High School After-Prom Party. Any donations can be dropped off to St. Peter's United Methodist Church on Eighth Street and Central Avenue no later than May 10, or volunteers could pick them up. Anyone who wishes to donate may contact Jen Bowman at 609-425-1474. Co-chairs of the After-Prom Committee are Jen Bowman, left, and Amy Holmes. (Photo courtesy of the After-Prom organizers)