Some Tristate parents are going to unprecedented measures to ensure their children's safety on prom night, considered one of the year's deadliest nights for teens nationwide.

        With prom season heating up, thousands of parents and volunteers are putting final touches on supervised after-prom ventures — some costing up to $40,000 — all designed to foster students' safety.

        “Prom night is notorious for being the biggest party night of the year,” said Sandra Wank, a parent volunteer at Kings High School in Deerfield Township. “We want to make sure we do everything we can to keep kids safe.”

Cheryl Dizard of Symmes Township is framed by a decorative star as she makes preparations for the after-prom party at Sycamore High School. (Mike Simons photo) | ZOOM |

        While after-proms date back decades, the 2001 version is more extravagant than ever.

        Kings' prom is May 5 at the Westin Hotel downtown, followed by after-prom midnight-6 a.m. at the Countryside YMCA in Lebanon. About 350 students are expected to attend the party, where activities include a casino room, giant slide and remote-control cars. Prizes range from televisions to airline tickets to dorm trunks filled with college needs.

        Parent Linda Williams, co-chair of King's after-prom, said volunteers and parents expect to raise $17,000, thanks in large part to 20 fund raisers this year. About 120 students attended Kings' first after-prom in 1992, which cost about $4,000 to put on.

Some Tristate schools have struggled — despite extensive parent and teen involvement — to attract kids to after-prom. At others, it's the place to be after the big event.

        “I really can't think of one (friend) not going to after-prom,” said Indian Hill junior Lisa Thoman, 16. “It's just a lot of fun.”

        Safety is the driving force behind after-prom parties.

        “It's notoriously a night where kids do things they're not supposed to do — drugs, alcohol, sex,” Ms. Williams said. “But this is a well-organized event. We have 80 volunteers that night — parents, teachers, coaches — and we watch everything.

        “The fact that (the kids) are not out drinking and driving is definitely a plus.”

ONE AFTERPROM

Sycamore High School afterprom party, by the numbers:     • 1-5:30 a.m.: Hours of the party Sunday (prom is tonight).     • 1,000: Students expected (Afterprom open to all juniors and seniors even if they do not attend prom.).     • $15: Admission.     • $40,000: Projected budget.     • 12: Fund-raisers held for afterprom.     • More than 500: Number of volunteers.     • 18-by-35-foot: Size of the giant slide, one of the afterprom activities. Other cool things to do at the party include laser tag, obstacle courses, a casino, a black-lighted Ping-Pong table, fake tattoo parlor, fortune tellers, dance and a comedy club, hair braider for both sexes and eight “restaurants.”

        National Highway Traffic Safety Administration records show that motor-vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15- to 20-year-olds. In 1999, 15 percent of all drivers involved in fatal crashes were 15-20.

        For the same age group, 29 percent of drivers killed in motor-vehicle crashes had been drinking.

        Fatality statistics for prom night are not available because proms fall on various weekends, generally in April and May. But law-enforcement officials say the night is dangerous for teen drivers.

        “The theory of after-prom is to get teens in one area so they are not driving around,” said Sgt. Shawn Davis of the Ohio State Highway Patrol in Columbus.

        “After-prom is a controlled environment where (students) have supervision and events that are going to keep them alert,” Sgt. Davis said.

        While growing in popularity, after-prom parties are unrealistic in some Tristate school districts, where even a $30 ticket to prom is hard to handle.

        “We don't have the finances for that kind of activity, and you will find that at most Cincinnati Public Schools,” said Carolyn Stanley, Woodward High School teacher and senior class adviser.

        “We don't have a lot of things suburban schools do.”

        An exception is Withrow High School, which will offer its second year of after-prom on May 6. But its budget of $2,000 is considerably less than suburban schools', said Ralph Garner, director of the school's minority-mentoring program.

        A $10 ticket this year includes hot dogs, billiards and dancing.

        At Mason High School, attendance at after-proms has grown from about 80 students eight years ago to 540 last year, said parent organizer Debbie Grant.

        Parents and volunteers raised $22,000 for this year's May 20 event, which includes an obstacle course and horse-and-carriage rides.

        “We have grown every year,” Ms. Grant said. “But it's a mind-set that has evolved.”

        Even Ms. Grant's son, Aaron, who is now graduated, protested when she told him he had two choices: attend after-prom or sit home that night with his father.

        “He was not thrilled,” she said.

        But his opinion changed by the end of the extravagant night.

        “He ... gave me a kiss on the cheek and said, "Mom, it was the most awesome night,'” she said. “That was why I did it again the next year even though I had no children attending.”

        At Sycamore High School, more than 500 parents, students, teachers, administrators, community groups and businesses spent the year raising about $40,000, making it one of the biggest after-prom events in the area.

        About 1,000 students are expected to attend Sycamore's party tonight at the school. For $15, teens will have access to a giant slide, laser tag, obstacle courses, a casino, a black-lighted Ping-Pong table, fake tattoo parlor, fortune tellers, a comedy club and hair braider.

        Eight rooms transformed into different “restaurants” will feed kids everything from vegetarian fare to Chinese food to barbecued ribs.

        “I definitely think it's cool and the majority of students think it's a really good idea,” said senior Nathan Price, 18, who will attend his third after-prom. “I even know people who bring people from other schools.”

        Five years ago, Sycamore's first after-prom party — with a budget of $20,000 — drew 700 students, said Susan Rockwood, event co-chair.

        “This is something we are very proud of,” she said, “because it is an alternative for the kids to keep them safe on a potentially dangerous night.”
       

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