PHOENIX — What a year to be a high school senior! So many events have been canceled or postponed due to the pandemic, but when an Ahwatukee mom heard prom was going to be canceled for a second year, she had to do something.
Turns out, she's now planning to throw prom for her daughter and her friends safely.
A once in a lifetime request
"She's like mom I want a prom, I'm never going to have a prom again,” said Kim Horn.
We all know how graduation went for the class of 2020, let's just say - non-existent. Other than a few drive-by ceremonies here and there, just about everything was canceled due to COVID-19.
Super Mom + Master Wedding Planner = Prom
"They've had so much taken away from in the past year, as we all have," she said.
But after prom was canceled for her daughter Alexa for the second year in a row at Desert Vista high school, she stepped up to create one.
"I've got lots of parents to thank, I've got lots of students to thank," Horn said.
As a master wedding planner and President of Arizona Bridal Source, Kim reached out to one of her contacts at the Arizona Grand Resort.
The show will go on with COVID guidelines in place
“We are following everything in terms of COVID guidelines,” she said. “We have 20,000 square feet of space… we are still going by 50% occupancy, so we basically are doing a maximum of 1,000 people."
With strict COVID-19 rules in place, including temperature checks at the door, they’re making it happen.
“We're doing social distancing, we're doing masks… we're restricting purses to be those skinny mini tiny purses and we will be looking through purses, we have security on site," Horn added.
A COVID-safe prom with all the fix-ins
The event will be complete with a DJ, photographer and surprises for her daughter Alexa and her friends, who couldn't be more thrilled.
"We're excited to finally have a prom together and have things go back to normal kind of, because we've had everything ripped away from us this senior year,” said Sophia Koury, Alexa’s friend. “So, it's actually going to be nice actually having something given back to us," Alexa added.
"It is all hands on deck on May 8th," Alexa’s mom said.
Class of 2021 will dance the night away after all
So, while COVID-19 has taken a toll, it won't be stealing prom for this Class of 2021.
"COVID took a lot from us and we're trying to give back a little piece of that high school memory that they'll never ever forget,” she said.
Tickets are officially for sale
For more information or to buy tickets for the Masquerade Prom, go to: https://masqueradeprom2021az.rsvpify.com/.
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