ORANGE — Organizers of the Mahar After Prom Party want one thing: for students to party safely after their big night.
A bingo fundraiser was held at the Orange Armory on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. to raise money for the after party, which takes place from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. immediately after prom. Former Mahar student Jade Bailey hosted the fundraiser, and 15 vendors donated items as prizes for bingo winners.
Helene Holmes, secretary for the Mahar After Prom Party (M.A.P.P.), said that the purpose of the party is to keep seniors and their guests safe and substance-free on prom night.
Holmes estimated that “probably 97 percent of prom guests” will show up to the after party, which is held at the Athol YMCA. The entire space is donated by the YMCA and has previously offered activities such as an obstacle course, a magician, henna tattoos and a hypnotist.
For this party to be a success, organizers typically spend $12,000 to $16,000 on food, drinks, and entertainment for the teens.
Vendors included Scentsy, Pampered Chef, Thirty-One, and Usborne Books and More.
Bailey, a former Mahar student and current junior at Montachusett Tech in Fitchburg, isn’t new to fundraising. While this is the first year she’s helped raise money for Mahar’s party, she’s also hosted other fundraisers in previous years.
A couple years ago, her first fundraiser bingo was for the North Quabbin Dog Park. Ten vendors attended, and $300 was successfully raised for the park.
Now, Bailey acquired 15 vendors to come to the bingo event, thanks to social media.
“It was all through Facebook, honestly,” she said. “I wrote out one message and then copied and pasted it to everyone.”
When Bailey found out that Mahar wanted to raise money for the after prom party, she reached out to them and offered to do the fundraising. From there, she attended community meetings and made plans to successfully hold the event.
“There were lots of long nights and no sleep trying to get it organized,” she said.
Interested vendors could request an application from Bailey, fill it out, and send it back with a $20 vendor fee.
Bailey has a separate bank account that she puts the fundraiser money in to keep track of.
“Honestly I hope for the best,” she said.
Mahar hosted its first after prom party in 2000, and it has been a success ever since. Holmes expects approximately one hundred seniors plus their guests to show up after a night of dancing.
Prom-goers who decide to attend the Mahar-hosted after party are locked in at 11 p.m. and can go home at 5 a.m. They are given a t-shirt and other prizes if they make it to the end.
However, if students decide to leave the party early, Holmes personally calls parents and lets them know that their child has left.
The event typically attracts 10-15 parent volunteers, some who stay the whole night and some who stay in shifts. There are six or seven “regulars” who stay the whole night.
“We keep (the students) busy all night,” Holmes said, adding that students are also welcome to nap if they’d prefer not to stay up.
Fundraising for the after party takes place all year in the form of many different events. Next Sunday at 6:30 a.m., party organizers will host a Supermarket Sweep, where the winner of the raffle will have two minutes to scoop as many groceries they want from Hannaford Supermarket in Orange.
On April 20 at 7 p.m., community members are welcome to attend a hypnotist show at the Mahar auditorium to benefit the after prom party fund. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. High school students with valid ID pay $7 in advance and $10 at the door.
“We’re always looking for new ideas and new volunteers,” Holmes said. “People in town are very supportive.”
Reach Christie Wisniewski at:
cwisniewski@recorder.com
or 413-772-0261, ext. 280