Sunday, one day after hundreds of high schoolers made their walk through the St. Michael-Albertville High School annual Grand March, another “red carpet” event took place on the community’s biggest stage.
Students with special needs were the “center of attention,” as they walked the red carpet from the parking lot to the high school gym to celebrate and be celebrated at Central Minnesota’s inaugural A Night to Remember Prom, held May 1 at STMA High School.
More than 95 guests attended. Many were from outside of the STMA community, but (nearly) all were paired with a special student host. They started the day with “Hollywood treatment,” as the kids had their hair and makeup done by cosmetologists and had prom photos taken by photographers. Guests were then transported to the event, where they walked along a special Red Carpet lined with people from the community who were there to cheer them on. The night was be filled with dancing, friends, photos, food, and much more
The idea to host a prom for local special needs students came to staff at Westbridge Church after seeing a church in Wisconsin do it. “We just decided we would do it and we love that it can be a shared experience for classmates here in St. Michael-Albertville,” Becker said.
Donations have poured in from local families and businesses. From flowers being donated by the North Hennepin floral design classes, DJ services, photography by Zahler, Pilgrims Cleaners is donating dry-cleaning services and Men’s Warehouse is offering a huge discount for tux rentals.
Check out the recap from local Fox News affiliate KMSP – FOX9:
And here’s a stack of photos from our friends at STMA Special Olympics, via Facebook: