The Prom Made for ‘Special-Need’ Teens
LUX Nation, when you think about your prom what comes to mind? Is it fancy dresses, nice dinners, laughter, certain dance moves or simply other special memories? Well for most of us, this event is a given and the only thing on our minds is what to wear, but for some teens this is just not the case—especially those with ‘special needs.’
Recognizing that not all teens get to have this once in a lifetime moment, a non-profit called The House, Inc. is aimed at coordinating ‘proms’ made just for teens that are often excluded from the normal festivities due to illness or a physical challenges. The House, Inc. is a ‘student leadership center that helps to mold character and teach essentials.” Most of the teens that attend happen to be disabled, terminally ill, have Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome or Autism and this occasion truly marks a social event of a lifetime!!
This year‘s event marks the 4th anniversary of The House, Inc. productions, holding the theme of ‘The Cinderella Ball’ and was held just last Saturday night in Washington. There were over 150 teens who attended the festivities, marking the largest event yet!! This ‘Cinderella Ball’ lived up to the theme as the teens were greeted as royalty with a red carpet grand entrance, accompanied by a Marine Corps sword arch!! To top it off, the winner of the 2007 American Idol, Jordin Sparks, was the entertainment for the evening.
“Our social life is very limited at school and outside school as well, so something like this is very good because we come to a place where we find ourselves with people that we can relate to,” said Alex Gonzales, pictured above and first time attendee via CNN.com
Although, most of the teens had to be accompanied by an adult, some did come with official dates! As you might expect, many of the parents were touched that their kids get this wonderful opportunity. One parent, Victor Padgett, summed it up brilliantly: “Events like these prove that the human spirit is alive and well. There is hope. There is love, and there is compassion for everyone.”
Tagged in: hope, american idol 2007, memories, high school, jordin sparks, prom, teenagers, social life, the cinderella ball, inspiring, special needs teens, the house, inc.,
