Prom 2021 - ‘Night Under the Stars’; Students and staff grateful for community support

GRANTS, N.M. - A little more than a month ago, Grants High School teacher and Class of 2022 sponsor Amy Degroat was informed that GHS could have a prom. The planning and fundraising began immediately.

Covid-19 prevented the junior class from any fundraising activities so Degroat was in a bit of a predicament because of the short timeline. After just one social media post, community members and businesses banded together to help the students get the prom they desired. Those plans finally came to fruition on Saturday night, May 15, after a hectic six-week planning process.

Students were able to gather in a safe but fun manner for a “Night Under the Stars.” Knowing that they had to adhere to Covid-19 guidelines made planning especially difficult and complicated, but the community’s support certainly helped. Overall, with the help of the community, the GHS junior class raised more than $7,000 for 2021 prom. As a result, they were able to rent a cleartop tent that allowed for the creation of a beautiful atmosphere for the students, according to Degroat.

The prom was held at GHS, on the pavement located near the new football field. The tent was split into four different sections, each of which encompassed one of the four seasons of fall, winter, spring, and summer.

The site was decorated with arches, picket fences, decorations specific to each section’s season, and there were more than 160 stars hung on the tent, each one with a senior student’s name to symbolize that “the seniors are [GHS’s] stars,” explained Degroat. This was the how the junior class chose to honor the seniors, which is typically done in some fashion at traditional proms.

“Prom was an absolute success; the vision of four seasons came to life,” recalled Degroat.

“[We] worried it would feel disjointed, but it was beautiful, and the students had nothing but positive things to say. As students left prom, they were all so positive and I heard so many [say,] ‘Thank you, tonight was amazing.’ Monday at school, prom was the only thing so many kids wanted to talk about. We created lifelong memories for these students.”

The event featured a custom-made banner, listing and thanking the community members, businesses, or entities that helped make the evening possible. Those rec ognized included H&R Block - April Montoya, Pizza Nine Grants, Cibola General Hospital, Custom Etching, Diamond G, KMG Make-up, Rowdy Diesel Performance, Rowdy Feed, A Touch of Heaven, Chaco Canyon Jewelry, Parkhurst Pharmacy, T-Bones Gym, Grants Community Pantry, Uranium City Winery, Walmart Grants, Sign Fx, Martin’s Wood Service, Mt. Taylor Federal Credit Union, Cibola Chamber of Commerce, Mining Museum, State Farm – Fitzsimmons, Jill Electric, Bella’s Boutique, Airport Animal, Loeffler’s, Clo’s Hair, Homestake Mining, B You Nutrition, Farms–Montano, Epic Fabrication, Potco, Cibola County Sheriff’s, Snap Fitness, JHM Hair, La Ventana, Riverwalk Realty, Eliseo Alcon, Fire and Ice Nutrition, Delta Tire, Grass Roots, and Save the Date/Crystalynn invitations.

“I, GHS, the Class of 2021 and the Class of 2022 would like to extend our deepest gratitude for providing us with the love and support to be able to create an absolutely beautiful prom. This will be an event we never forget, and we will also never forget how this community came together to provide this for us. We are so deeply humbled and blessed to have so much support. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you all so very much,” said Degroat referring to the overwhelming outpouring of support,

Degroat extended gratitude to Chief Financial Officer Steve Maldonado, Grants/Cibola County School District, for supporting efforts in putting together a lastminute prom and granting extensions on purchase orders during the planning process.

Prom 2021 for GHS students was certainly a joint effort acknowledged numerous participants.