Durango's After Prom: A cool, safe party

I don't know about you, but my after-prom nights (1990, '91) are cringe-worthy memories best left to the history books.

And with drinking responsible for more than 4,500 deaths among young people in the U.S. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there should be something safe for kids to do after the dance.

Enter After Prom.

Since 2003, Durango students attending prom have had a cool and safe option for what to do after the big event.

The DHS prom will be held the night of April 22 at Fort Lewis College, and After Prom will run from midnight to 4 a.m.April 23 at the Durango Community Recreation Center.

Because After Prom has been going on for so many years, coordinators have it down: The evening is full of fun activities, including karaoke, food, photo booths and a casino, to name just a few. Also, prizes are given out through the night ? uh, morning ? culminating in grand prizes at the end.

And the prizes are no joke: There are about 10 grand-prize packages worth about $1,000 each awarded at the very end of the evening. Teens have left After Prom with items such as 50-inch television sets, complete with Blu-ray players and movies; video-game packages; and bikes. Gift bags featuring items and gift cards donated by local businesses and other prizes are also awarded during the evening.

The trick with the grand prizes is that kids must be in attendance to claim the loot ? so once they check in, there's no leaving the rec center.

Trish Kirkpatrick, chairwoman of the Durango Community After Prom Association, says adult volunteer help is needed before and during the event.

"Anyone can come and volunteer that night," she says. "We have mostly parents, but anyone in the community is welcome."

"(The partying) still happens, make no mistake, but definitely going to our event is a huge thing," says Jennifer Hayden, who is in her fifth year as prize coordinator.

Hayden says that they had more than 300 kids attend After Prom last year, but they typically see more than 400 turn out.

That's where the volunteers come in.

Kirkpatrick says that during the party, volunteers check in kids when they arrive, keep an eye on the prizes, stand by doors to make sure kids aren't coming and going, serve food, hand out prizes, work the casino and more.

"There's also a lot to do ahead of time," Hayden says. "The No. 1 excuse we get for people not volunteering is that 'my kid doesn't want me at After Prom.' There is so much to do before to help out ? there's a ton of stuff," including decorating and getting the food.

Kirkpatrick and Hayden also say that volunteers don't need to stay to the very end.

The committee is also looking for monetary and item donations. The event couldn't exist without the generosity of local businesses, community groups and individuals.

"We run totally on donations and grant money," Kirkpatrick says. "This is truly a community event."

katie@durangoherald.com