Written By Bonnie Jo Taylor and Ashtyn Andrews
Every spring, Davie High upperclassmen attend their annual prom! This lavish event allows students to dress up, enjoy a variety of food, and dance the night away with their friends. While this had previously been unavailable to the Soaring Eagles, Davie County Schools decided it was time for a change in 2017. This sparked the creation of Hope Prom!
Starting as a National Honor Society Service Blitz project by Ciera Slater, Delaney Smith, Jordan Smith, and Julia Vaughn-Jones, the Hope Prom has been put on every year by the club since its initial formation (only missing the prom in 2021 because of COVID-19). The dance is organized and run entirely by the club, and this year NHS transformed the First Baptist Church in downtown Mocksville into a “Winter Wonderland” for this event!
While the dance was held on January 24 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., the planning for the event reached all the way back to October. Some students joined committees that budgeted and planned the event, with each committee overseen by a senior. Anna Lowery oversaw the food committee, the invitations committee was overseen by Katelyn Cohen, Leslie Newsom oversaw the decorations committee, and Madelynn Keller oversaw all the committees.
Brooklyn Lakey additionally took part in a great deal of planning and running this event while having a very personal and meaningful connection to its occurrence. Her sister, Annabelle Lakey, is a member of the Soaring Eagles and was present at the dance. Brooklyn assisted Leslie Newsom in leading the Decorations Committee and helped set up the dance.
The Decorations Committee met several times prior to the event to figure out how to decorate the church to perfection. After some consideration, they chose Winter Wonderland as the theme to base their decorations off of. Silver streamers and artificial snow were distributed across the venue, and volunteers from across the club set some of it up the night before the dance. The tables were covered with white tablecloths, gorgeous silver and blue runners, and intricate centerpieces comprising baby’s breath, orchids, and cedar branches. The dance floor was decorated with LED lights that gave the venue a dazzling blue hue, and small inflatable balls filled with silver sparkles adorned the surrounding area. A photo booth, manned by a photographer from the Weekly Talon, was also available at the dance, in which special equipment borrowed from Mr. Ferebee was used.
The Food Committee was to provide food for the attendees and handled a delicious platter of Subway sandwiches, Chick-fil-A nuggets, and beautifully decorated cupcakes that matched the wintery theme of the dance. NHS volunteers manned the tables under Anna Lowery’s direction and served the attendees. Of course, we did not exclude club members from the tasty treats!
While the annual Hope Prom started not too long ago, I think we can all agree that it will be a tradition for many years to come. Whether the theme is Winter Wonderland or Under the Sea, the National Honors Society will happily decorate and create a memorable experience for the Soaring Eagles and the volunteers involved. Cheers to a fantastic Hope Prom and many more!
