The Child Abuse Prevention Adult Prom themed as “A Black and White Affair” slated April 27 at The Commons already is celebrating a crowning achievement: A sold-out event, and one featuring the most tickets sold in years — 440.
The figure, made possible by some tweaks to the event space, is slightly larger than a normal maximum of 400 in recent years.
Last year’s crowd was slightly shy of a sellout at a time when many area nonprofits leaders have said they are still recovering from event attendance dips linked to the pandemic. Yet, organizers called the event a significant success that raised $70,000. A total of $60,000 of that total came from fundraisers from the prom king and queen court and monetary votes, according to organizers.
Money goes to a range of nonprofit Family Service Inc.’s child abuse prevention programs. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Those programs educate children and youth in grades kindergarten through 12 and also adults in the community as well about everything from warning signs to how to report suspected abuse, according to organizers.
National figures show that one in eight young people are abused before the age of 18.
Charlotte Barton Coombs, Family Service Inc.’s executive director since August, said the event sold out of table group tickets within 15 minutes of making them available in February.
“It’s my understanding that our CAP Council hasn’t seen numbers like this for tickets since pre-COVID,” Coombs said. “My theory is that people want to get back to a new normal. And the CAP Adult Prom reminds people of some great, wonderful times.”
Ideally, she hopes that the larger number of tickets will be result “in a record-breaking event this year,” after expenses are covered, she said.
King and queen court fundraisers are still unfolding, and people can support the cause through those publicized on the CAP Adult Prom Facebook page and its presence on other social media.
Family Service Inc.’s April child abuse prevention awareness actually is expected to begin Tuesday with promotions of its pinwheel gardens, as they are called. People can come to the Doug Otto Center at 1531 13th St. beginning Wednesday and pick up pinwheels and yard signs to put it their yard to build awareness about child abuse prevention.
The nonprofit’s events and its work next month include training on April 3 to help adults to prevent, recognize and respond to and report child sex abuse via the Darkness 2 Light program.
How you still can help
While the prom is sold out, organizers are encouraging the public to vote online until 1 p.m. April 27 with monetary donations for the prom king and queen. The website is capprom.com.
People also can make general dionations to event organizer Family Service Inc. at familyservicebc.org.
How you still can help
While the prom is sold out, organizers are encouraging the public to vote online until 1 p.m. April 27 with monetary donations for the prom king and queen. The website is capprom.com.
People also can make general dionations to event organizer Family Service Inc. at familyservicebc.org.
