For East Peoria Community High School sophomore Sarah Wegman, the $10 jump of a 2010 prom ticket to $50 did not make her think twice about attending the event.
In Wegman’s opinion, the evening of fancy attire and dancing happens just once a year; therefore, expense is not an issue.
“It’s one day out of your lifetime,” she said. “And we should make the best of it. I don’t think (cost) really matters.”
For the second year in a row, prom is booked for April 17 at Embassy Suites Hotel in East Peoria.
And with a theme of “Once Upon a Dream,” the prom committee is busy raising funds for the $20,000 cost of the event.
“Embassy is expensive,” said Megan Beecham, prom coordinator and science teacher at the high school. “But a lot of students do want it at Embassy because it includes their dinner, which is nice so they don’t have to go out to eat.”
Last month, the committee hosted a Culver’s night, where a portion of the restaurant’s proceeds went to prom funds. The committee also sold flowers during Valentine’s Day.
With their efforts so far, the committee of 30 students has raised about $1,000, Beecham said.
“Prom committee can only do so much; we’re a small committee,” Beecham said, adding that prom tickets cover most of the cost of the venue. “It’s a very elegant event. (Students) want their prom to be special. And what’s more special than going to a really nice place? A lot of these student will not get an opportunity to see something like that.”
Previously held at Packard Plaza in Peoria, it was an administrative decision to move prom to East Peoria last year, said superintendent Cliff Cobert.
“It was natural for us to go to Embassy,” he said. “And it supports our local businesses, as well.”
Principal Paul Whittington said Embassy Suites worked out well and the staff at the hotel was very accommodating.
“Obviously, Embassy Suites offers a tremendous venue for our prom,” Whittington said. “And it’s natural for us to stay in the community.”
With the new cafeteria addition at the school almost complete, the discussion of whether prom will be moved inside school walls has been brought to the table, Beecham said.
“Some students say they would love to keep it at Embassy, and you have others that say, ‘Well, we just want to get together and dance,’” she said. “It’s been mentioned to have it in the new addition next year. That’s something we definitely have in the works.”
Beecham added she will have students complete a survey at the end of the year to see where they want prom to take place.
“My position is to be a spokesperson for what the students want,” she said.
Many teachers and administrators said they feel that the new addition would be a perfect fit for prom — not only because the cafeteria would hold the students, but also because it would lower prom costs.
“In East Peoria, we have a lot of kids that probably can’t afford the prom tickets, so for those kind of kids, having it at the school would benefit them,” said Vicki Sandoval, prom coordinator along with Beecham.
“The cafeteria is beautiful. The windows go from floor to ceiling. It would be great to have it there, but I don’t know how many years in a row the kids would want to have it there. They might get burnt out on having it at the school.”
Although he was not aware of the proposal, Cobert said he liked the idea of having prom inside the school in the future.
“The space in the new cafeteria would be large enough they could do that. It certainly would be less expensive,” he said. “When I was in high school, we did have prom in the gym. It wasn’t all that bad.”
Beecham said the reason prom tickets went up this year is because there is not enough money in the junior class’ fundraising account. In response, they had to be a little more creative with their fundraising efforts.
For instance, Sun Seekers in Creve Coeur donated a portion of its sales last month to the committee. They also sponsored the committee this year, according to the school’s Web site.
A student’s mom owns the business, Beecham said.
“This is the first time someone has officially approached us and wanted to donate funds toward our prom,” she said. “Parents are a great resource. A lot of these parents want these kids to experience an elegant night. And they’re willing to find donations or ways to make it happen.”
Parents will also host a spaghetti dinner in the new cafeteria March 19 after the school’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The cost of the meal is $5 per person, and if enough funds are raised, the cost of the prom ticket may go down, Beecham said.
Another Culver’s night will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. March 16.
In past years, faculty at the school have also pitched in to purchase tickets for students who may not have the money for prom.
“I certainly don’t want to see students not able to experience prom because of the cost of the event,” Whittington said.
For more information about prom, visit the school’s Web site at www.epchs.k12.il.us.
